A New Life
by storyfan45
Summary: Cassie has a secret that will change their lives forever.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer—I obviously don't own Good Witch.

Cassie walked into Grey House in a daze. The news that she received that afternoon had sent her into a kind of shock. She had spent the last hour or so driving around, trying to make sense of everything. Entering the kitchen to start dinner, she began pulling random things out of the cupboards. Just then, Grace walked in.

"Mom…" No answer. Grace raised her voice, "Mom!" Cassie's head popped up and her eyes widened.

"Oh, hi, sweetheart. I'm just getting dinner ready."

Grace looked around the kitchen at the random assortment of food on the counter. "Mom, are you okay?" she asked, as she placed her hand on her mom's shoulder. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Cassie nodded. "I'll be okay. I think I'll go lie down for a bit, though. I'm not feeling very well. Do you mind making some chili for dinner?"

Cassie climbed the stairs slowly before entering her bedroom and sitting on the end of the bed. What was she going to tell Sam? How was he going to react? Maybe I should practice this, she thought. "Sam…I have to tell you something," Cassie began. "No, no," she cleared her throat, "I have a surprise." She sighed and stared into the mirror across the room, the object that had replaced Sam while she was practicing her speech. "Sam…I have some news."

"Some news?" a deep voice rang out as the man in question entered their bedroom. "What kind of news?" Cassie jumped when he spoke, and turned around to face him. He stood there waiting for her response. When she didn't say anything, he spoke again. "I just got home. Grace told me that you aren't feeling well. What's going on?" he asked, concerned.

She stared at him for a minute, trying to come up with words to tell him the news that would change their lives. "Um…we're having chili for dinner tonight," she stammered, looking away. Sam furrowed his eyebrows and sat down next to her on the bed, taking her hand in his.

"Cassie, is everything alright? You've been a little jumpy for the past couple of days." She looked into his light blue eyes and nodded slowly until the look of concern on his face caused her to shake her head. She started crying and turned towards him, burying her face in his neck. He immediately wrapped his arms around her and held her gently against him. When she looked up into his face it was so full of alarm that she felt she had to tell him everything…and now. She took a deep breath. "I just got back from my doctor and…," she stopped, unable to complete her sentence. Sam's eyebrows shot up close to his hairline. Being a doctor himself, he was uncomfortably familiar with all kinds of news that could come from a doctor's office. She was hesitating to tell him, so it must be really bad, he thought.

Sam put his finger under her chin and lifted it up, bringing her eyes up to lock with his. "Whatever it is, Cassie, we'll deal with it. What did your doctor say?" he prompted gently.

"I'm pregnant," she blurted.

Sam sat back, stunned. His mouth popped open as he stared at her, unable to form any words. Of everything that had been running through his head that could be going on with her, THAT wasn't even on the list.

Cassie just sat there watching his reaction, giving him time to digest this life-changing information. "Pregnant?" he repeated. She nodded before placing her head in her hands.

"I'm too old for this! It's not safe for the baby or for me! There are so many things that could go wrong!" she stammered through her tears. The sound of fear and panic in her voice snapped Sam out of his trance, and he held her closer. Finally, he smiled and pulled her hands away from her face, causing her to look up at him.

"Cassie. This may be some of the most insane and wonderful news I've ever heard. It's true that there are more POSSIBLE complications related to your age, but you've always been healthy. Even if there are complications, we'll deal with them, just like we have with every other challenge we've faced. Plus, I'm even older than you! I'll be 70 before this kid leaves the house!" he said with a laugh. She looked up at him with a small smile on her face and he grinned. "What a way to keep me young," he said as he bent down to kiss her softly. When he pulled back he chuckled. "Well, I always did want a baseball team." Cassie laughed and swatted at him. All of a sudden his face got serious as he placed his hand on her abdomen, noticing for the first time the tiny bump that resided there. "Seriously, though. A little bit of you and a little bit of me. You're giving me the greatest gift anyone could ever give," he whispered, beginning to tear up.

Cassie covered his hand with hers, thinking about their little nugget that was growing underneath. Sam was right. They would be okay. They would ALL be okay.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer—I still don't own Good Witch, I still write fluff, and I love to explore the relationship/friendship between Grace and Sam.**

Sam woke up even before the soft morning light began peeking through the frosted window in his bedroom. It was still early, so he was happy to see Cassie still sound asleep. Not wanting to wake her, he carefully climbed out of bed and headed for the kitchen for some coffee. He hadn't had a lot of sleep the night before; his normally logical brain was rattled with anxieties. The news of a new family member was incredibly exciting, but terrifying at the same time. He was leaning against the counter sipping his coffee when Grace entered the kitchen.

"Oh, hey, Sam. Couldn't sleep?" she asked, as she reached for the tea kettle. He gave her a small smile in greeting and shook his head.

"Not really. What are you doing up this early?" he queried, as he nursed his coffee mug between his hands.

"We have finals this week, remember? Nick might be blissfully sleeping without a care in the world, but I can't stop thinking about my Biology final later this morning." she replied.

Sam chuckled. "Why doesn't that surprise me? It's amazing how different you two are, but that you were still able to become good friends," he said, as he drained the last of his coffee and reached for the pot to pour some more.

Grace grinned as she grabbed a mug from the cupboard. "Kind of like you and mom?" He laughed and nodded. While she was waiting for the water to boil, she eyed him carefully. He had dark circles under his eyes and he looked exhausted. "Sam, what's going on?" she asked. "Is there something wrong that I should know about?"

Sam sighed. He and Cassie agreed to tell the kids together, and soon, but they hadn't figured out how to broach the subject. It was going to be a shock to both of them. "Everything's fine," he said, unconvincingly.

Grace walked over and put her hand on his arm. "Mom and the baby will be okay," she said, looking pointedly at him. His eyes grew wide as he looked at her in shock.

"What…?"

She shook her head and smiled, causing him to narrow his eyes and quirk an eyebrow. "Did your mom tell you?" he asked. Grace grinned mysteriously and shrugged her shoulders. "Hmm…sure," she said. Sam shook his head. He would never understand the "gift" that his wife and stepdaughter had, but had decided a long time ago that he would just go along with it. "Have you told your mom that you know?" he asked, taking another gulp of coffee. She shook her head. He sighed. "We have had no idea how to tell you two. It's not really a typical conversation—'Okay, we know that you're about ready to graduate from high school, but surprise! You're about to have a baby brother or sister!'" he said, looking again into his coffee mug.

Grace furrowed her brow. "Sam, are you not happy about this baby?"

Sam looked at her in alarm. "Oh, I'm thrilled. I've always wanted a big family, and I got that when your mom and I got married. Everyone just welcomed Nick and me into the family with open arms. We definitely don't have the typical family, but it's amazing. One more person makes it that much better," he said with a smile. He took a deep breath. Opening up to anyone was not in his nature, but Grace had inherited Cassie's talent of making him spill his guts. "However…I'm also terrified. I'm not exactly a 'spring chicken'. How can I be a good dad to a brand new kid when I'm old enough to be his or her grandpa?" he said sardonically.

Grace stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, completely taking him by surprise. When she pulled back, she looked him straight in the eyes. "Sam, even though he might not always show it, Nick is so lucky to have you as his dad, just as I'm lucky to have you in my life as well, even before you and mom got married. You don't need to be really young to be a good dad, you just have to be someone who will always look out for his kids… and you do. This baby is really lucky, just like the rest of us."

Sam flushed slightly and smiled. "Thanks, Grace. Seriously, you are becoming more and more like your mother every day," he laughed. She gave him a grin as she walked to the whistling tea kettle.

Sam took another sip of his coffee. "So…how long have you been standing there?" he asked quietly. Cassie stepped around the corner of the doorway and laughed before wrapping her arms around his middle.

"Long enough to see and hear things that make me love you more, even though I didn't think it was possible." She reached up and gave him a soft kiss. "So, she already knows, huh? I should have figured. She's right, you know…about you. You are an amazing dad, and you will be to this one, too," she whispered as she placed her hand on her stomach. He placed his hand on top of hers and smiled.

"I will certainly try my best."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer—I still don't own Good Witch, and I still write fluff. There will be time jumps, but I'm just going to write random snippets about the pregnancy/birth/baby/family life. Thank you to all of you who have reviewed. I hope you enjoy, and Merry Christmas!**

It was Christmas time, and in Middleton, that meant more decorating. While many cities and towns around the world decorated for Christmas, Middleton took it a little further. Stores around town had been preparing for weeks to get their small town in the Christmas spirit. Cassie, however, had been stricken with a bout of morning sickness (which didn't just happen in the morning) every day for the past few weeks. She was already 5 months along and should be past that stage, but it was stubbornly hanging on. They had told everyone in their immediate circle about the baby—obviously Nick and Grace, but also Brandon, Lori, George, and Abigail and they were all excited to welcome a new family member. Even Nick, who they were most worried about, told Sam and Cassie that he had always wanted a little brother or sister, but had always assumed it would never happen. The rest of the town had no idea, and it became increasingly difficult to hide it from them, especially Martha.

"Cassie, you are usually the first one to put up your Christmas decorations! Why don't you have anything up in your shop yet?" Martha bugged, for what seemed like the millionth time that week. Cassie sighed. She had been feeling sick off and on, but also extremely tired. The thought of decorating her shop was overwhelming at best.

"I promise I'll get to it, Martha. I've just had a lot going on with the shop, and at home," Cassie (kind of) lied.

"Well you better!" Martha huffed, "A Middleton Christmas is not the same without your shop decorated for the holidays!" She left in a hurry, leaving Cassie shaking her head. She looked around her at the enormity of the job ahead and sighed again. Suddenly the bell on the door rang and she looked up to see Sam walking in with two paper cups in his hands. He walked up and handed her a cup before kissing her gently.

"How has your day been? Are you feeling any better?" he asked quietly. Cassie shook her head. "The tea will help, though, so thanks." She replied. He nodded before pulling some crackers out of his bag that he was carrying with him. "Make sure you eat something, too," he told her. Cassie grinned, despite how lousy she was feeling. Typical protective Sam. "Yes, dad," she whispered.

He smiled and wrapped his arm around her. "Was that Martha I saw rushing out of here?" he asked. "What is she in such a tizzy about? This time, I mean." He smiled into his coffee cup as he took a drink.

Cassie shook her head. "She's just rushing me on the Christmas decorations. Apparently I haven't decorated quickly enough for her taste. I just don't feel up to it right now."

Sam looked around and finally noticed the lack of Christmas decorations. They had had them up at Grey House for a week or so, but everyone had pitched in to help there. Maybe that was necessary here, too. Cassie leaned against him and closed her eyes, relaxing into his body as he held her.

"Cassie, maybe you should go home," Sam said, worried. "Do you want me to call Tara to cover for you?" She shook her head. "I'll be okay. It's not too bad right now," she assured him.

Sam stayed for another 15 minutes or so before he had to head back to the office. While he was there, he ran into Grace who had continued her internship at his office.

"Grace, do you think you could do something for me?" Sam asked, while juggling patients' charts. "Can you round up the family and have them meet at Bell, Book, and Candle tomorrow morning? Your mom has been feeling pretty rough lately, so I want to surprise her and see if we can get the shop decorated so she doesn't have to worry about it anymore. I had Eve shuffle some patients around to give me the morning off and Tara is going to cover for your mom so she can rest at home." Grace smiled and nodded before pulling her phone out and sending out a mass text to her entire family.

Cassie didn't put up much of a fight the next morning when Sam told her that he'd made arrangements for Tara to cover for her. Sam had called the school and excused Nick and Grace for the day for personal business, so after saying their goodbyes to Cassie (who was curled up on the couch with a book and a cup of tea), they pretended to leave for school.

In the house, Sam sat down on the couch and wrapped his arm around his wife, pulling her close. "I hope you take it easy today," he said, gently. "You take care of everybody all the time, now you need to take care of yourself, and our little guy or girl." He placed his hand where his son or daughter was growing, once again marveling at the idea of it. Cassie smiled and squeezed his leg. "I promise." He gave her a quick kiss goodbye and headed for his car, where Nick and Grace were waiting for him.

By the time they got to the shop, Tara already had it opened and had retrieved the Christmas decorations from the back of the store. It was Brandon's day off, so he and George were there, beginning to string lights. Abigail joined them an hour or so later when her part-time employee, Sarah, arrived. Together, they made quick work of the decorations, getting help from Tara or Grace whenever they weren't sure what to do. By lunchtime, they were finished. Sam took a step back to admire their work.

"This looks great. Thank you for doing this. This will be a huge relief for Cassie," he said. "I called her a couple of minutes ago and she's feeling a lot better so she's going to be here in a few minutes. I hope you can all stay to surprise her. I've also ordered some food to be brought over from the Bistro for lunch." They all grinned and nodded. The food arrived shortly before Cassie did, and by the time she arrived, their small gathering had turned into a party. Stephanie had brought the food over, curious about why everyone was at the shop, and Martha had stopped by to see how decorating was coming along. Pleased to see that her favorite shop in town was now appropriately decorated for the holiday, Martha helped herself to an extra sandwich.

Cassie's reaction was priceless. Normally a very calm person, she had tears running down her cheeks as she thanked each of her family members, saving Sam for last.

"I can't believe you all did this for me," she said, her face in his neck, as he hugged her to him. "You're pretty popular around here," he quipped with a smirk. She chuckled and brought her face up to meet hers in a sweet kiss. "No interruptions this time."

A few minutes later, Stephanie and Martha came up to the couple, demanding to know what was going on. Sam and Cassie looked at each other and Sam shrugged his shoulder. Cassie smiled and reached for Sam's hand. Taking a deep breath she spilled the news and explained why the family was all there. The looks on their faces were priceless, and they hugged Cassie and Sam, congratulating them.

"I'm so sorry I've been so worried about the decorations," Martha said, chagrined. "I had no idea." Cassie smiled and put her hand on Martha's shoulder. "It's okay, really. Look at what everyone did here. I have a pretty amazing family."

As people trickled out of the store to go on with their day, Cassie hugged each one and thanked them again. Sam was the last one to leave. "I guess the cat's out of the bag now," Sam said. "Neither Martha nor Stephanie can keep a secret. By this time tomorrow, the whole town will know."

She laughed and hugged him to her, reveling in his closeness. "I'm glad. It feels so much more real now," she said. "Now we just need everyone to help decorate the nursery," she said with a grin.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer—It's still not mine, I still write fluff, and I'm still on Christmas break (so I have some time to write). J This isn't my best work, but I'm trying to rush through my stories a little bit—I have more to write, and I'm back at work on the third of January.

Cassie was now just over 5 months pregnant, and the day of the ultrasound came. She and Sam had discussed finding out whether the baby was a boy or a girl and, no surprise…they disagreed about it.

"Come on, Cassie…it would make it much easier to get ready. We wouldn't have to worry about buying everything in yellow or green," Sam argued. Cassie sighed. "We talked about this, Sam. There are so few surprises left in life, why can't we just wait?"

Sam looked at her dubiously. "Seriously? No surprises? I think this baby's existence at all is the biggest surprise I've ever had in my life." Cassie laughed. "I guess that's true. I get where you're coming from. How about we decide when we get there? If everything looks good with the baby, we'll discuss it then. And no bribing the ultrasound tech or the doctor!"

Sam grinned. "No guarantees!" He dodged to the side as Cassie's hand came up to smack him in the arm. "Okay, okay…no bribing this time. I promise!" he said, laughing.

Cassie looked at the clock. "It's time to go," she announced.

The jovial mood of the room suddenly took a turn as they looked at each other and silently acknowledged the anxieties that they both carried. They both knew the risks associated with an "advanced maternal age" pregnancy, and today they would get the first look at their baby to check for potential complications.

"Sam…what if…" Cassie started. He grabbed her hand. "I said it once, and I'll say it again…we can handle anything that is thrown our way," he assured her. Cassie smiled and squeezed his hand, and led them both outside to the car.

When they arrived at the office, a radiologist met them with a handshake and a smile. In a normal pregnancy, ultrasound techs do the ultrasound and send the results to the doctor. This being a special case, and honestly, because of Sam's insistence and his position as chief of staff at Hillcrest, the radiologist would be in the room to review the ultrasound in real time. "Are you ready?" she asked. Cassie and Sam each took a deep breath and nodded as they headed into the room.

They were both silent as the ultrasound was being set up. As soon as the whoosh whoosh of their baby's heartbeat broke the silence, they both released a breath that they didn't know they were holding. They had heard the baby's heartbeat before, at a routine appointment and through Sam's stethoscope, but to see his or her little heart pumping normally was reassuring. The tech went on, measuring every inch of the baby, checking its heart, brain, and other organs. The radiologist took notes to compare them to normal ranges for development of the baby's gestational age. Sam's doctor brain was on alert as well, looking for anything he could see as an abnormality. Before the tech could move on to measure the baby's legs, she stopped. "Did you two discuss whether you wanted to find out whether it's a boy or a girl?" she asked.

Sam and Cassie looked at each other. Cassie smiled, "I don't really like yellow on babies that much. I'd much rather buy pink or blue." Sam grinned. "Are you sure? We don't have to." She nodded, both at Sam and the ultrasound tech. "Are you hoping for one over the other?" the tech asked as she expertly guided the wand over Cassie's abdomen. Cassie and Sam both shook their heads. "I have a daughter, and he has a son, along with a stepson and stepdaughter from my first marriage," Cassie explained. "This baby will be a tie-breaker of sorts," she said, smiling.

The ultrasound tech stopped. "Last chance to back out," she said. They both laughed. As the technician told them the sex of their baby, tears welled in Cassie's eyes. "Perfect," she said, looking at Sam. He grinned at her and squeezed her hand.

When the ultrasound finished up, they were assured by the doctor that everything looked completely normal for this stage of pregnancy. Relieved, Cassie and Sam held each other for a moment, as their fears slipped away and the joy came. "I knew everything would be okay," Sam whispered. "It just had to be."

When Cassie checked out, the office gave them printed pictures and a dvd of the ultrasound. On a whim, they stopped at the store on the way home and bought two onesies to help announce their news to the family.

That afternoon after Nick and Grace were home from school and Abigail from work, the family excitedly crowded into the living room to watch the ultrasound. They had assured everyone that the baby was perfectly healthy, so the atmosphere was that much more joyful. Just before they got to the part where they found out the sex of the baby, Sam stopped the dvd and Cassie handed Nick and Grace each a package. When they unwrapped the boxes and pulled out dark blue and grey onesies that read, "Little Brother," everyone cheered and congratulated them. Even Grace, who had secretly wished for a little sister, was excited. A little boy around the house would be fun, too.

"Any ideas on a name for this handsome little guy yet?" George asked.

Sam and Cassie looked at each other with raised eyebrows. They hadn't even discussed names yet. Given their vast differences, it would be a monumental task to name this baby. But, that was a disagreement for another day.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Fluffy, fluffy, fluff on the way. If you don't like it, don't read it. It's as simple as that.**

(4 months later)

Cassie woke up in the middle of the night. The pains she had had off and on throughout the day had gotten more frequent and painful, and it was time to wake up Sam. Before she could, a wave of pain hit her and she cried out, biting her lip in an effort to conceal it. This was enough to wake Sam from the deepest sleep. He looked confused for a second before noticing Cassie hunched over next to him. He recognized almost immediately what was going on.

"Oh, Cassie," he said as he put his arm around her, "Why didn't you wake me up? Let's get you to the hospital!" He hurriedly got out of bed and threw some clothes on. Just as he was grabbing some clothes for her, Cassie was racked with another pain, this time accompanied by her water breaking. Cassie and Sam looked at each other with wide-eyes. "How many minutes apart?" he whispered.

Cassie just stared at him with fear on her face. "Not enough," she stammered. Sam took a deep breath.

"Cassie, I'm going to check you really quickly. If my instincts are right, we might not make it to the hospital." Cassie nodded, but scrunched her face in pain again as another wave hit her. Sam was a professional, but this was his wife and baby. He swallowed his panic in an effort to hide it from her. Both of them needed to remain calm. As he checked on her progress, he noticed that the baby was already crowning. His jaw dropped as he looked at his wife. She knew.

"Okay, Cassie, you're having the baby here. I'm going to go wake up Nick and Grace and have them get some things ready and call 911. Hold steady for a minute. Don't push!" he ordered as he ran out of the room. He ran down the hall, pounding on doors as he went. Grace was the first one out of her room, followed quickly by Nick, and then George. They all looked at him, alarmed. Sam took a deep breath in an effort to calm himself, "The baby's coming! Too quickly for the hospital; I'm going to have to deliver him. Nick, get my medical bag, Grace, call 911, and George… get me some clean towels!" They all ran off to do their duties, as Sam ran back into the bedroom. Cassie was breathing heavily and clutching her abdomen. Sam ran to her side and helped her sit up a bit before positioning himself at the end of the bed. "Okay, Cassie, the baby's almost here. I need you to push for me." Cassie did, and the baby's head descended a little more.

Suddenly there was an urgent knock on the door. "That's right, that's it. You're almost there. Let me just grab my stuff, and we'll be ready for this baby!" Sam flung open the door and found Nick and George there with his medical bag and the clean towels. "Thank you!" With that, he shut the door again and returned to his wife, pulling gloves on as he did. "Okay, Cassie, one more big push should do it!" He told her. With extreme effort, Cassie bore down and pushed with all of her might. "That's it…that's it…the baby's head is out. Hold on for just a second, I need to clear the airway." He grabbed the bulb from his medical bag and cleared out the baby's nose and mouth. "Okay, Cassie, one more gentle push and the baby will be here!" Cassie was sweating as she gathered the last bit of her strength to push the rest of her baby out. All of a sudden, a wail was heard in the room. Sam looked at Cassie with a grin on his face and held up the baby for her to see. "Well, it's officially a boy," he said, before wrapping the precious baby in one of the towels. Luckily his instruments were already sanitized and ready to go, so he clipped off the umbilical cord and cut it.

With that, little baby boy Radford was ready to see his mom. He had calmed down a little, but settled down completely when he was placed in his mother's arms. Sam sat on the edge of the bed next to his wife, watching with a soft smile as she traced a finger around the newborn's face. When she looked up at him, he could see the tears in her eyes. "He's beautiful," she whispered.

Sam couldn't agree more. He put his arm around his wife and kissed her softly before returning his attention to his son. The baby yawned before blinking his eyes open. Cassie smiled as she saw two light blue eyes looking up toward her. "He has your eyes," she remarked, "In fact, he could be your clone." Sam looked down at the beautiful baby in her arms.

"He has your chin and ears," he said, as he brushed his son's cheek with his finger, "And hopefully your remarkable spirit and personality." He could hear the wail of the ambulance in the distance as he took care of the afterbirth and helped his wife clean up a bit. Luckily, they had been prepared. There was a bassinette, diapers, and baby clothes sitting ready in the corner of their room. He would get his first bath later, but the baby needed to keep warm, so Sam grabbed a diaper and a hat to cover his matted, dark brown hair. When the baby and Cassie were situated, Sam opened the door and called Nick, Grace, and George into the room. They weren't far away.

"You have a new brother and grandson," he announced with pride. Grace was the first one in the room, giving Sam a quick hug before sliding past him to go to her mother's side—sitting on Sam's side of the bed and scooting as close as she could to her mom. Nick and George both hugged Sam, before George went down to let the EMTs in. Nick slowly entered the room, trying to get a glimpse of his new baby brother. Sam stood next to his son and put his hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. Go see him." Nick half smiled and looked down at his feet. Cassie looked up, "Nick. Come see your brother. It's okay." Nick walked slowly to the side of the bed and looked down at the baby in his stepmother's arms. "I told you I always wanted a brother or sister," Nick said softly, "Now I have a lot of them, biological or not. That's thanks to you, you know." He told Cassie shyly. Cassie looked up and met Sam's eyes, both smiling. She glanced back at Nick, who was examining his baby brother. "I'm pretty happy you're here too," she told him softly. The next few minutes were a little chaotic as the ambulance arrived and the EMTs strapped Cassie and the baby onto a gurney. Before Sam climbed into the ambulance after his wife and son, he yelled at George, Nick, and Grace to drop off his car at the hospital, and that they would be home as soon as Cassie and the baby were checked out.

A couple of hours later, after Cassie and the baby had been given a clean bill of health, they were given the all clear to head home. Luckily, they had installed the car seat the weekend before and had a bag packed and ready to go in the trunk of Sam's car. When Cassie, Sam, and the baby arrived home, they found a banner stretched across the entry way that said, "Welcome Home Baby Radford!" They grinned at each other as Sam carried the car seat into the living room, took the baby out, and rocked him gently in his arms. The family gathered around, Cassie seated on the couch, as they formally introduced their new addition. "Okay, did you two ever decide on a name?" George asked. Sam glanced at his wife, "Do you want to tell them?" he asked as he placed the baby in her arms. "Everyone, meet William Alexander Radford," she said. "William after Sam and his dad, Alexander after mine. We'll call him Will."

The baby opened his eyes and blinked sleepily, seemingly ready to meet everyone. They passed him around to each family member, Grace being the first to hold him. She took the little cap off his head and ran her fingers through his now-clean hair.

"His hair is so soft," she said. "It's kind of like a mix between both of yours—not as light as Sam's and not as dark as Mom's. His eyes are all Sam, though."

Nick was a little more nervous to hold the baby, but soon relaxed as his baby brother snuggled into his arms. "He seems pretty chill, though. Much more like Cassie than Dad," he teased. They all laughed quietly and watched as baby Will blinked up at Nick, completely at ease with so many people surrounding him. Even Brandon and Tara got to hold their new little "brother".

By the time he got back to his parents, Will had fallen back to sleep. Cassie looked down at her little boy snuggled in her arms and smiled. He was absolutely beautiful, and she could sense an amazing spirit coming from him. She glanced at Sam, who had also been watching their son, and they smiled at each other. This would be an interesting ride, but one they would be on together, and she couldn't imagine it any other way.


	6. Chapter 6

**I am going to keep this as an open-ended story. While I won't be posting as often once school starts again, I feel like there are a myriad of stories that could be told with these characters. They will likely be short, as I prefer to write single topic stories, but I'll try to update as often as I can. Also, thank you to everyone who has reviewed. To be honest, I write these for myself, but have decided to post them in hopes that other people will start to post some of their own stories.**

Sam was pulled from the depths of sleep by a shrill wail coming from the end of the bed. His sleep deprived brain took a few seconds longer than usual to realize what was going on, and he was reminded again that life with a newborn is not for the weak. Glancing beside him, he realized that Cassie hadn't even stirred. She had been taking most of the night feedings lately and was absolutely exhausted.

Slipping out of bed, he quickly walked to his 3 month old son's bassinet and lifted him to his shoulder to calm him. His normally quiet and easy-going son was very vocal when he was hungry or needed to be changed, so it wasn't too hard to guess what he needed. Quietly exiting the room, he carried Will to the kitchen to warm up a bottle. While it was heating, he expertly changed the baby's diaper and swaddled him up again, nice and snug. It calmed him down a bit, but he was still whimpering with hunger. When the bottle was ready, Sam proceeded to the living room to feed his son.

"Mmm…that's good, huh?" he asked Will, who was sucking down his bottle. He yawned. "You need to start sleeping through the night, little guy. You're wearing everyone out." Will gurgled as he continued eating. Sam started talking to his son about whatever he could think of, eventually describing the process of diagnosing various ailments and describing different bones in the body. The whole time he was talking, Will was staring up into his face, seemingly riveted by what Sam had to say. He was an unusually focused baby and he loved it when people talked to him.

When Will was finished eating and had been burped, Sam lay down on the couch and placed his son in the crook of his arm in hopes that cuddling would help him fall back asleep. That is exactly what Cassie found 30 minutes later when she woke up and realized that both her husband and son were missing. After searching the usual places…the nursery (they used the rocker in there sometimes) and kitchen, she found Sam fast asleep on the couch, feet hanging off the edge, with a sleeping Will snuggled up to him. The sight made her smile and she quickly grabbed her phone and took a picture.

The sound woke Sam from his light sleep and he quickly glanced down at Will to make sure he was okay. "I was wondering where my men were," Cassie said, startling Sam in the process. "I woke up and found myself alone for the first time in…a while," she continued. She walked toward them and gently picked the sleeping baby out of Sam's arms. He didn't stir. "Boy, when he's asleep, he's really asleep," she said, chuckling. "Remind you of anyone?"

Sam narrowed his eyes playfully. She had been teasing him since they got married about how hard he was to wake up, but even more so since Will was born. That was one of the main reasons why Cassie took most of the night feedings. "Yeah, well, he also 'talks' in his sleep…I wonder if I know anyone else that does that?" he said jokingly.

Cassie grinned. "Well, it's almost time to move him out of our room and into his nursery, anyway. Then you'll only have to sleep through one person talking to you instead of two," she said with a laugh. Sam laughed quietly and rose from the couch slowly, stretching his limbs as he did.

"Into the nursery, huh? That's a big step for him… and for us," Sam said with a glint in his eye.

Cassie grinned, looking behind her as she started up the stairs. "Maybe we can give it a test run tonight. Everything is set up and ready to go, and he's dry and full." Sam's eyebrows shot up and he hurried up the stairs behind her.

After Cassie placed Will in the crib and turned on the baby monitor, she stepped back into Sam's arms. They stood there for a few minutes, just watching their son's even breathing before Cassie leaned back and kissed Sam softly. "I still can't believe he's ours," she said, amazed.

Sam nodded in agreement. "I know. I don't know how we got so lucky," he said.

Cassie turned in his arms and kissed him again, before taking his hand and pulling him out of the nursery and into their room next door.

Will slept soundly in his new crib for the rest of the night, giving his parents some much needed alone time together.


	7. Chapter 7

Sam opened the door quietly, slipped into the dark house, and silently made his way up the stairs. He came to the nursery door and hesitated before entering, torn between wanting to see his son and not wanting to wake him up. An inspection of the crib found the one-year old boy to be sleeping soundly, so Sam ran his hand over Will's head before dragging his fingers through his own hair in exhaustion. He had been so busy running the clinic and being chief of staff at Hillcrest, that it felt like it had been ages since he'd spent any time with his family.

Quietly shutting the nursery door, he finally entered his and Cassie's bedroom. Through the darkness he could see Cassie's form curled up on her side of the bed and he sighed. It had been an exhausting day. He had just gotten home from a long day at the office when he had gotten an emergency call from the hospital. Cassie had been feeding Will at the time, and he was getting food all over himself, Cassie, and the high chair. She smiled, as usual, but he had seen the strain on her face as he kissed her goodbye…again. These long hours were becoming more and more frequent, and something had to give. He was missing out on the most important moments in his son's life…again.

The bed looked awfully inviting, but he walked past it to the bathroom first. Looking into the mirror, he noticed the haggard man looking back at him. He looked wore down and weary. Walking into the bedroom and slowly undressing, he slipped under the covers and reached for his wife. She stirred and turned to face him. "Long night," she said groggily.

Sam rubbed his face, "Long day, too." She searched his face for a clue about what he was thinking. "Cassie…" he started. She looked at him expectantly. "I can't do this anymore." Her face was the picture of confusion, and he sighed.

"When I took the Chief of Staff job at the hospital, I knew it would be hard. I knew there would be long days and nights. What I didn't know is how much it would keep me away from my family. I was single then, Nick was practically grown, Will obviously didn't exist, and it was an exciting challenge."

Cassie raised her eyebrow. "What are you saying, Sam?"

He ran his hands through his hair. "Well, I've been thinking about it, and I think I want to resign as chief of staff. I have enough going on with my practice and here. I don't want to feel like I'm missing out on anything. I have too many things pulling me toward home."

Cassie eyed him. "And you're happy with that decision?" Sam cracked a smile, remembering when he asked that same thing of Cassie when she decided not to go to the Maldives.

"Yeah. The chief of staff job is…tempting , but…"

"Home," Cassie cut in.

"Even more so. " He finished. She smiled back and reached for him.

"Well, I'll try to make your decision to stay worthwhile."

She kissed him softly and he grinned before whispering, "Yeah, you better." He kissed her again before pulling her close and snuggling into his pillow, falling asleep almost immediately.

The next morning, he woke up before Cassie for a change. He leaned over and kissed her shoulder before snuggling up closer and wrapping his arm around her. Her arm came up and she laced her fingers with his before turning over to face him. "Good morning," she whispered before giving him a soft kiss.

"Every morning I wake up with you in my arms is a good morning," he replied.

"Are you really okay with your decision to resign? I don't want you to feel pressured into doing anything," Cassie told him. Sam gently traced patterns up and down her arm and gave her a soft smile. "You, Will, Nick, and Grace are more important to me than any job. I have hardly seen any of you at all in the last couple of months and I'm not okay with that." Cassie smiled and kissed him again, enjoying the peaceful moment until they heard high pitched squeals and singing coming from the baby monitor. They glanced over at the monitor and began laughing. Cassie started to get out of bed, but Sam put his hand on her shoulder, stopping her.

"I'll get him," he offered as he pulled the covers back and slowly got up. Cassie stretched and snuggled back into her pillow before hearing, "Dadadada!" through the monitor. She smiled as she heard the excitement in her son's voice. Even more endearing was the excitement in Sam's voice as he began talking to Will.

"Hey, buddy! Daddy's missed you. Have you been a good boy for Mama?"

She could hear Will's attempted response, and then shrieks and giggles. Sam's deep laugh joined in the mix. She closed her eyes and smiled, listening to the sounds of her husband and son playing together, when suddenly, the sounds stopped. She turned towards the door just in time to see Sam bounding through it with Will stretched out in his arms, flying around the room like an airplane. The giggles echoed off the walls and Cassie couldn't help but start laughing herself. When Sam finally placed the boy in the middle of the bed, the joy on both of their faces was shining through.

"Mama!" Will cried, before jumping on her. She chuckled and snuggled her son up to her, all the while watching Sam. He was still grinning from ear to ear, and he seemed 50 pounds lighter. His countenance had brightened, and he seemed…happier. This would be a good change for them, she thought.

He caught her eye and smiled. "My decision is already worthwhile," he said softly, before pulling his wife and son into his arms.


	8. Chapter 8

**After writing this chapter, I realized that it had even more fluff in in than usual. Proceed with caution. The inspiration for this chapter comes from my own experiences with my nieces and nephews, particularly when they were younger. When someone showed them a little extra attention, they kind of became obsessed with that person and wanted to spend every moment with them. I can imagine that if Will were real that he would get A LOT of attention, not just from his family, but from the entire town. I also like to tie in things that were said in the actual show. The episode referenced in this chapter is Somewhat Surprising from Season 3.**

"Will! Get back here!" Cassie yelled after her 2 year old son as he ran streaking down the hall from the bathroom. He had managed to escape her grasp as she was trying to dry him off from his bath, so he was a very naked little toddler.

"Mama can't catch me!" he giggled as he darted from side to side.

Nick, who was home from college for the holidays, happened to be walking down the hallway and caught his little brother by the arms and held onto him until Cassie could wrap the towel around his squirming body and pick him up. She smiled gratefully at Nick.

"This reminds me of that story that your dad told about you running around the house after your grandma would give you a bath. Do you remember that? That day we were looking at all the pictures?" she laughed.

Nick chuckled. "Yeah, I remember that. Now this little rascal is keeping it in the family," he said, reaching out and tickling Will, who giggled and again tried to squirm out of his mother's arms. He then flung himself forward toward Nick, reaching his arms out.

"Nicky…hold me!" the little boy said as Cassie struggled to keep her grip on him.

Nick reached out and took Will out of Cassie's embrace. As soon as he got what he wanted, Will was calm and gave Nick a huge grin. "Nicky my favorite brudder," he said as he put his head on his shoulder.

Cassie laughed. "Will, we need to get you dressed," she said as she reached back for him. Will shook his head back and forth.

"No. Nicky!"

Nick laughed and looked between his brother and stepmother. "If you give me his clothes, I'll get him dressed if you want," he offered.

Cassie smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you, Nick. You're a wonderful big brother." She gently poked Will's belly with her finger. "You be good for your brother, mister. I'll be right back with your clothes." Will giggled again.

Nick grinned at the little boy in his arms, just as Grace came up the stairs. Seeing Nick holding a towel-clad Will, she raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "Did he run off after his bath again?" she asked, laughing. Nick laughed and nodded.

"Gra-Gra!" Will yelled, leaning out toward her. Nick passed him off. "It seems I'm no longer the favorite here," Nick said with a smile. Will looked back and forth between Nick and Grace. "Nicky favorite brudder, Gra-Gra favorite sissy." They were still laughing when Cassie came back with Will's clothes.

"So now you've attached yourself to Grace, have you? Who do you want to help get you dressed?" Cassie asked, laughing.

Will thought hard for a few seconds. "Nicky AND Gra-Gra!"

Later that night, when everyone was home, Cassie told Sam what happened. He laughed. "How fitting that Nick was the one to catch him this time," he said, glancing at his older son. Will, knowing they were talking about him, grinned and jumped into his father's arms. "Daddy, Mama gave me a bath today. Nicky and Gra-Gra helped." Sam tousled his son's hair.

"I heard that, Will. Why did you run away from your mama?" he asked.

Will grinned. "Me and Mama play games. I fast!" he said proudly.

The whole room burst out into laughter, including Will, who seemed surprised and pleased to have made everyone laugh. He leaned over and reached out to his mom, so Sam passed him over to Cassie and put his arm around her. "He fast!" Sam repeated with a grin.

Cassie laughed and snuggled the little boy close to her as he laid his head on her shoulder. "He does love to run," she said with a smile.

Will pulled his head up and looked at her, putting his hand on her cheek. "Fun game, Mama. You fast, too."

Nick watched this exchange with a smile on his face. He loved his mom, but he had serious doubts that she was as loving and calm with him as a little boy as Cassie was with Will. That boy won the lottery, he thought.

Will had put his head back on Cassie's shoulder and was dropping off to sleep as she rubbed his back. "Come on, baby, let's go get you in your pjs and I'll tuck you in," she said softly as she moved toward the stairs. Will shook his head and yawned.

"No. I want Mama, Daddy, Nicky, AND Gra-Gra to tuck me in."

She looked over at the other occupants of the room and they all grinned and joined her in climbing the stairs. After getting him changed into his pajamas and tucked into bed, each person leaned down to say goodnight and give him a kiss on the cheek or head. Nick and Grace left the room first, heading off to hang out with friends while Nick was in town.

Sam and Cassie stood watching their son as he drifted off to sleep with a smile on his face. He had been surrounded by the people he loved most, and he couldn't be happier.

"He sure loves his brother and sister," Cassie whispered. "He's been attached to them even more than usual today."

Sam pulled her close. "We have some pretty amazing kids. And this one is getting kind of spoiled with all of the attention," he said with a soft chuckle, nodding toward Will.

Cassie smiled and nodded. "He is a little spoiled, but he's spoiled with love from everyone he knows. I can't imagine anything better."


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: It's still not mine, but I do enjoy "borrowing" the characters for a little bit. I also jumped around (perspective wise) in this chapter. I made up information about the Merriwick line, but…this is all made up, so I hope it doesn't matter to anyone. Happy reading.**

Cassie was just falling asleep when she heard the door creak open. "Mama? Daddy? Can I sleep in here with you?" the frightened voice of her three-year old asked. She sat up and glanced toward the door.

"What's wrong honey?"

Will ran to his mother's side and pulled back the covers, sliding in. Crawling over her to lay in between his parents, he snuggled up to Cassie and held on tight. "I had a bad dream," he said in a quiet voice. Sam stirred and blinked groggily.

"Will? What's going on?" he asked, looking between his son and Cassie. Will launched himself at his dad and held on for dear life, his tears wetting the front of Sam's shirt. Sam's arm automatically went around his son and his eyebrow quirked as he looked at Cassie.

What's going on? He mouthed. She half shrugged and frowned. Concerned, Cassie rubbed the boy's back and gently tugged on his shoulder to pry him away from Sam so he would look at her.

"What was your bad dream about, baby?"

Will sniffed and wiped his face with his hand. "It was tomorrow and Daddy and Gra-Gra got hurt in the car."

Cassie's eyes went wide. Sam was taking Grace to Chicago in the morning to meet with one of his former colleagues that was doing work with gene therapy. Grace, who was fascinated with the subject and was trying to decide what Master's or PhD program to apply for once she finished her Bachelor's degree, had been enthusiastic when Sam offered to set up the meeting.

Cassie had been excited for her daughter…until now.

With Will being one of the few boys born on the Merriwick line, she was unsure of whether or not her son had inherited her gift. While it was assumed that it was passed from mother to daughter, that hypothesis was largely untested. Was this a typical nightmare or a premonition of things to come? She looked at Sam who shrugged in response. Cassie held her boy to her and furrowed her brow. She hadn't known that Jake was in trouble until after he was killed. Was it possible that something was going to happen to Sam and Grace and she couldn't feel it?

Will looked up at her with tear-filled eyes. "Mama? Are Daddy and Gra-Gra going to be okay?" Cassie smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Of course, honey. It was just a bad dream. Go back to sleep. You can sleep in here with us tonight if you want."

Having gotten the reassurance that he needed, Will quickly nodded off to sleep between his parents, one hand on each of them. Seeing the concerned look on his wife's face, Sam reached out and cupped her cheek with his hand. "Hey…it's okay. It was just a bad dream. He just heard us talking about it tonight at dinner. Plus, I'm the world's best driver!" he cracked, attempting to make her smile.

Cassie gave him a half smile. "I wish I knew that for sure," she whispered, looking down at Will.

Sam leaned over Will and gave her a quick kiss. "I promise we'll be careful," he said. Cassie nodded and wrapped her arm around Sam with Will in between them, holding them both as closely as she could.

The next morning before they left, Sam reassured Cassie once more that everything would be okay. "I know we'll be driving a lot today, but I promise that I will call you when we get there and when we leave. Would you rather us stay there tonight and come back tomorrow morning? I have patients tomorrow, but I will have Eve push them back if you want."

Cassie shook her head. "Just go and come back. I want you back here tonight so I can stop worrying about it." Sam nodded and kissed her goodbye before turning to Will and hugging him gently.

"It'll be okay, buddy. I'll be home in time to help tuck you in tonight, okay?" Will nodded and returned to his breakfast. He was very trusting, so if his daddy told him it would be okay, it would be. "Bye, Daddy. Bye Gra-Gra," he said through a mouthful of pancakes.

Grace gave her mom a quick hug goodbye before following Sam out to the car. "It was just a dream, right?" she asked Sam as they were getting in the car. "What Will saw?"

Sam gave her a smile and started the car. "Absolutely. We'll be just fine."

The day went by slowly for Cassie. Sam had called to let her know that they'd gotten to Chicago okay and that he would call her again before they left in a couple of hours. She was able to breathe easier knowing that they'd made it, but there was still a 3-hour drive back.

She and Will were spending most of the day at the store where she was working on new ordering. After Will was born, she had converted a small storage room in the back into a playroom/office, so she was able to get some work done while Will played. Today, however, her thoughts were elsewhere. She looked up from her paperwork to see Will playing with his toy airplane. "Hey, Will, come here for a minute," she called.

Will walked over to his mom, still flying his plane in the air. He looked up at her questioningly. "Mama? You okay?"

Cassie picked him up and placed him in her lap. "You're such a sweet boy. Yes, I'm okay. I have to ask you a question, though. Honey, have you ever felt anything…funny before? Have you had a feeling that something would happen and then it did?"

Will tilted his head. "Funny? I feel funny when people tickle me," he said, confused. Cassie smiled. He was obviously a little too young for this conversation. Either that or he didn't have "the gift". Time would tell. For now, she would have to wait patiently for Sam and Grace to return home and she would stop worrying about it for a while.

Half-way through her stack of paperwork, Sam called to tell her that they were on the way home. After working for another hour, sensing that both she and Will needed a distraction, she gathered him up and headed to the Bistro for some tea and a visit. Stephanie made her usual fuss over Will, showering him with hugs, kisses, and way too many sweets, while Cassie sipped her tea and had a chat with her old friend.

"So, Sam and Grace are in Chicago today, huh? She came in yesterday for lunch and told me the news. She seemed pretty excited about it," Stephanie said, while placing another chocolate croissant in front of Will. Cassie raised an eyebrow at the second croissant, but didn't say anything. Instead, she sighed. "They are. They should be home in a couple of hours."

Stephanie looked at her, concerned. "What's wrong?"

Cassie didn't know what to say. She couldn't really talk about why she was concerned—she wasn't sure whether Will had just had a bad dream or if he had had a premonition. Just as she was about to answer, her phone rang. Seeing Grace's name on her phone, she quickly answered it.

"Grace, is everything okay?" she asked quickly.

Grace's reply nearly stopped her heart. "Mom, there's been an accident…."

 ****To be continued… (I have Monday off, so I'll try to post again then)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Part 2-**

"Grace, is everything okay?" she asked quickly.

Grace's reply nearly stopped her heart. "Mom, there's been an accident…."

Cassie opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by static. "Accident…highway…Sam…"

"Grace? Grace? You're cutting out. Are you okay?" Cassie's voice rose in pitch as she walked around the Bistro in hopes of getting a better signal. Her stomach twisted as she tried to understand what was happening.

"I'm okay…but Sam…Mom …hear me? Sam…call…"

Cassie stepped out of the Bistro in a panic. "Grace? I can't hear you. What about an accident and Sam?" she said desperately.

This time, the voice on the other end was crystal clear. "There's been an accident on the highway. Sam wanted me to call and let you know we would be a little late so you wouldn't worry."

Cassie's whole body sagged with relief. "Are you two okay?" she asked.

"We're good. We're just passing the accident now…it doesn't look good. The traffic looks like it's clearing up past the accident, so we should be home in about 2.5 hours," Grace responded.

Cassie thanked her daughter for calling before ending the call and stepping back inside the Bistro. Stephanie and Will were both looking at her, alarmed. "Everything's fine," she said, "there was an accident on the highway, so they're going to be about half an hour later than expected." She sat down and put her head in her hands.

Will reached over and patted her arm. "Mama? Daddy and Gra-Gra are okay?"

She looked over at her son and gave him a smile, pulling him onto her lap. "Yes, honey. They're okay. Let's go home and make them some yummy dinner and dessert. You can help." His blue eyes lit up and sparkled. "Cake?" Cassie laughed and nodded. "If that's what you want. We'll make Grace's favorite chocolate cake." She and Will said their goodbyes to Stephanie and headed home.

When Sam and Grace walked into the house a couple of hours later, the smells wafting from the kitchen drew them in. Will was the first to notice them. "Daddy! Gra-Gra!" he shouted as he ran toward them. Sam picked him up as he got closer and swung him around before hugging him close. Cassie gave Grace a long hug before turning to Sam and giving him a kiss, with Will squished between them.

"I wasn't sure…" she started, relief evident in her voice.

"I know," he said. "We're home, though. Safe and sound. " Will was reaching for Grace, so Sam passed him over and held his wife close.

"Gra-Gra…Mama made cake. I helped!" he told his sister excitedly.

Grace laughed and tickled him. "Oh, yeah? Did you eat it all without us?" she asked, wiping at the frosting smeared on his cheek.

"No, Mama wouldn't let me," he said with a little frown. "I helped with the frosting."

Grace continued her conversation with her little brother, attempting to give her mom and Sam a minute alone. She knew that her mom had been worried, but especially after the phone call. While her mom hadn't heard her, Grace had heard every word that her mom said, and could hear the panic in her voice. She couldn't imagine what her mom was thinking. Since Grace was the one who had called, she was obviously okay, but her mom had already lost one husband; the thought of losing Sam, too, would have been unbearable. Seeing her mom and Sam smiling now, she knew that he had made her feel better about it. That was one of the things that she appreciated about Sam. He was unfailingly loyal and always seemed to know exactly what her mom needed to hear. Her mom did the same for him. No matter how different they were, they were great for each other.

Cassie finally stepped out of Sam's embrace and walked toward the food on the stove. "I hope you're hungry. I made your favorites… Chicken Alfredo for Sam and chocolate cake for you," she said, looking at Grace and glancing at the lumpy- looking cake. "Will helped frost it," she said with a laugh.

As they sat down for dinner, Cassie asked how the meeting had gone. Grace glanced at Sam, who gave her an encouraging smile, and then looked back at her mom. "Great! He offered me an internship. It's an incredible opportunity, so I've decided to apply for the program at Northwestern in the fall," Grace explained.

Cassie smiled. She was happy for her daughter, but it was bittersweet. She had enjoyed having Grace continue to live at home while she worked on a Bachelor's Degree, but knew the day would come that she would have to move on. "That's great, honey. Congratulations. I'm proud of you!"

After dinner, dessert, a quick bath for Will (who had managed to get chocolate cake all over himself), and putting him to bed for the night, Cassie and Sam finally found themselves alone. Sam poured some wine and they sat closely on the couch. "So…how well do you know this doctor that Grace is going to internship with?" she asked casually. Sam raised an eyebrow and looked at her incredulously.

"Cassie…he's one of the best in his field. He's also one of the best people I know. He and his wife are raising 3 kids; the oldest is also a student at Northwestern," Sam replied.

Cassie held up her hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. You can't blame me for wondering. Especially since Grace is going to be working so closely with him," she said with a sigh.

Sam wrapped his arm around her. "I know this is hard for you. In fact, it's hard for me, too. But you have to know that I'd never do anything to hurt Grace, that includes introducing her to people I didn't deem worthy," he said. He took a deep breath. "Honestly, when we were at Will's ultrasound, I was secretly hoping for a girl. While I wouldn't trade Will for anything in the world, I've always wanted a daughter. I'll never have one of my own, but Grace comes awfully close."

Cassie smiled softly at him, amazed at how lucky she was. Sam had been wonderful with Grace ever since he and Nick had moved to Middleton. He taught her how to drive, listened to her complain about boys, and even helped her with her homework. The love that he showed for her daughter made Cassie love him even more.

She gave him a lingering kiss. When they pulled back for air, he looked at her questioningly. "That's for loving Grace like your own," she said before kissing him again. "And that's for the amazing father you are to Will and Nick." "And this…this is because I like you a little bit," she whispered and winked as she pulled him into a tight embrace, kissing him passionately. By the time they pulled away, the air around them felt charged with electricity.

She stood, reached for his hand, and led him upstairs. They both hoped that there would be no nightmares tonight.


	11. Chapter 11

**Fluffy, fluffy, fluff, fluff. :)**

It was "bring your son to work day" for Sam. Cassie was out of town for the afternoon picking up items for her store and she couldn't bring Will with her. This wasn't the first time Sam had brought Will to the office, but a doctor's office is not very baby/toddler/preschooler friendly, so it didn't happen very often. Usually he just came to the office when Cassie stopped by, or for an occasional hour or two while she needed to get some things done, sans her precocious 4 year old. Preschool had been cancelled that day due to the teacher's illness (one of Sam's patients, in fact), so Will would be at the office all afternoon.

"Okay, Will," his mom said as she dropped him off, "remember that you need to be on your best behavior. Some people are sick and they're here so Daddy can help them. You can't be running around. If Daddy's in a room with the door closed, you can't go in there. You need to wait until he comes back out." Will nodded and gave his mom a hug. Cassie kissed the top of his head before giving Sam a proper kiss goodbye. "I love you. I'll be back as soon as I can."

The first part of the afternoon went slowly for Will. His dad had a lot of work to do and Eve was busy, too. He quickly got bored playing with the toys in the waiting area and began to wander around the office, looking for something to do. Sam was with a patient and Eve had gotten a call, so he was able to sneak back to one of the free exam rooms. He found one of his dad's lab coats and put it on, letting it trail back behind him on the ground. Then, sneaking carefully past Eve's desk, he entered the room he had seen his dad go into. "Well, Mrs. Jacobs, it looks like you're doing well. I…" Sam stopped as he saw his son enter the room. "Will, what are you…?" he started before taking in the whole picture in front of him. He grinned and picked Will up. "Excuse me, Mrs. Jacobs. I hope you don't mind, but I've called in a consult for you. This is Dr. William Radford."

Will giggled. "Daddy! Mrs. Jacobs knows me! She's Mama's friend!" Mrs. Jacobs smiled at the scene in front of her, father and son in matching lab coats with identical grins plastered on their faces.

She walked up to Will and tickled him. "What a handsome new doctor you have here, Dr. Radford," she said, looking at Sam and then back at Will. "Adorable." She straightened "his" lab coat and grinned as she walked out of the room.

Sam put Will down on the chair and looked him in the eyes. "Buddy…I love your doctor look, but remember what Mama said about coming into the room when there was a patient in here?" he said gently.

Will looked down. "I'm sorry, Daddy. I just wanted to show you!"

Sam smiled and scooped his son back into his arms. "You look like the real deal! We'll have to get you your own little lab coat. Would you like that?" Will's eyes lit up.

"Really?"

Sam laughed. "Sure, why not. But, if you're going to be a doctor, you need to dress the part even more. He went to his closet where he kept some extra clothes, just in case, and took out an old tie. He slung it around Will's neck and tied it, tucking it under the collar of his dark blue shirt. Sam then rifled through the drawers of his desk until he could find an old stethoscope that he put around his son's neck. The stethoscope hung close to his waist and the tie went almost to his knees, but Will didn't care. He was thrilled.

"Look, Daddy! We match!"

Just then, Eve came running into the room. "I'm so sorry, Dr. Radford. I had a phone call…" She trailed off when she realized what she was seeing. Grinning broadly, she addressed Will. "Dr. Radford…Mr. Richards called to cancel his appointment. He rescheduled for next week." Will grinned and looked at his dad, then back at Eve. "Eve…it's me…Will!" he said, waving.

Eve blinked, as if coming out of a trance. "Will? But…what about Dr. Radford? Where is he?"

"Daddy's right here, silly!" he said, poking Sam in the chest. "But I'm going to be a doctor just like him," he said with a grin.

Sam swelled with pride. Nick had never shown any interest in what he did. Even as a young boy when his mother would bring him to the hospital, he was more interested in the toys in the waiting room than he was with the hospital. While he was immensely proud of Nick and his accomplishments, he was thrilled that one of his sons was showing an interest in his life's work. Granted, a four year old shows interest in almost everything, but still…

The rest of the day passed by smoothly, with Will keeping his doctor's garb on the whole afternoon. After the last patient had left, when Sam was busy filling out some charts at the front desk, the door opened and Cassie entered.

"Mama!" Will yelled, as he ran to her. Cassie was surprised, but smiled widely when she saw Will running toward her in his "doctor outfit." She picked him up and hugged him close to her.

"Well, Dr. Radford. You are the cutest doctor I've ever seen!" she said.

Sam had looked up from his paperwork as soon as Cassie had walked in. "Hey! I'm offended," he said with a smirk.

"Sorry. Tied for cutest," she said, smiling, before walking over and giving him a kiss hello.

"Mama! Daddy told me I could be a doctor when I grow up. I looked at a big book with bones in it and he told me some names! He even showed me how to use his…skefasope." He grinned, taking the stethoscope from around his neck and showing her.

"Really? What do you do with it?" she asked.

Will put the ear pieces in his ears and held the metal end to his mom's chest. He listened for a few seconds before smiling broadly. "Mama, your heart is loud!" Cassie and Sam laughed.

"That's because my heart is happy. I have you, your daddy, Grace, Nick, Brandon, and Lori. It is very happy." Cassie said as she kissed his cheek and hugged him tightly.

Will put the stethoscope to his own chest. "My heart is loud, too…and happy!" he exclaimed.

Sam and Cassie smiled at each other and she kissed his cheek once more before setting him down. "Okay, Dr. Radford. Time to take all of this doctor stuff off so we can head home," Cassie told her son.

Will removed the lab coat with a slight pout on his face. Sam removed the tie, but returned the stethoscope to around his son's neck. Will's face lit up. "I can keep it?" Will asked with delight. Sam smiled and nodded, taking his hand and leading him to the front where Cassie was waiting. She took Will's other hand, and they walked out into the cool evening air together.

Will squeezed his parents' hands. "You have big metacarpals," he said with a grin.

Cassie and Sam looked at each other shocked, eyebrows raised. Their son was definitely a precocious 4 year old.


	12. Chapter 12

**-Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story. I appreciate you taking the time to let me know what you think. It took me a while to decide what I wanted to write about for Will's 5** **th** **year, but I decided to play the school card (I AM a teacher, after all). I have a gifted nephew whom I have patterned Will after in this particular chapter.**

 **\- April 29** **th** **is getting closer and closer! I'm excited to see where our favorite characters go (hopefully down the aisle** **)! Enjoy!**

Cassie stood outside of Middleton Elementary School awaiting Sam's arrival. She had received a call from Will's kindergarten teacher asking for a meeting that afternoon. She had called Sam, who was able to rearrange some appointments, but who was running a little late. Suddenly, his car pulled up and he jumped out, jogging over to her.

He gave her a quick kiss in greeting. "Hey, sorry I'm late. My last appointment ran a little long." Cassie smiled and took his hand, walking toward the building. Sam looked over at her.

"Any idea what this is about? Is he in trouble?" he asked.

Cassie shook her head. "She said he's not in trouble, just that she wanted to meet with us as soon as possible. She said she would explain more when we met."

Sam nodded and held the door open for Cassie to pass through before following her inside. School was over for the day so it was pretty quiet. Will's teacher, Ms. Brown, asked to meet with them without Will, so Cassie had arranged for George to watch him for a little while that afternoon.

Making their way down the hallway to the kindergarten classrooms, Cassie smiled at the work that was displayed on the walls. The students had written a single short sentence about their families and had drawn pictures above. One boy named Jack had written, "Mi famale is fun." The crooked writing and stick figures made her smile wider. When she spotted Will's name, she stopped. He had drawn a cute picture of their family—Cassie, Sam, Nick, Grace—and included Lori, Brandon, Tara, George, and Abigail. What really caught her attention was under the picture. He had written,

"My family is the best! My moms nam is Cassie and my dads name is Sam. They love me a lot. My mom is amasing. We like to go on woks and make cookees. My dad is awsum! He teeches me a lot about being a docter and he is teeching me how to play baskitball. I have one brother named Nick. He is funy and he maks me laf. I have one sister. Her name is Grase. She is one of my favrit peple. We like to play games and bild forts in my room. Grandpa George lives with us. He is the best grandpa ever. Brandon Tara and Lori are my extra family. They are grat. Abigail is my moms cusin. She tikles me a lot. I love my family!"

Cassie looked over at Sam, who had also been reading Will's work. He was glancing back and forth between Will's paper and the other kids', eyebrows raised. He finally looked at her with a smirk on his face. "Well, I think I know why she wants to meet with us," he said with a chuckle.

They entered the classroom and greeted Ms. Brown, whom they had just met a month or so before when Will had first started school. She directed them toward some chairs that she had set up for them right by her desk. "Ms. Nightingale, Dr. Radford, thank you for coming in today. I know it was short notice, but I feel like the sooner we get this process taken care of, the better." Cassie and Sam looked at each other, confused.

"Sorry, what process?" Sam asked.

Ms. Brown smiled. "As you know, Will is an exceptionally brilliant child. He is already reading on a third grade level, and his writing and math skills are far beyond the beginning of kindergarten. I have spoken to the principal, counselor, and other teachers and I wanted to ask you for permission to have him tested. I also want to talk to you about the possibility of having him promoted to first grade, effective as soon as possible."

Cassie and Sam looked at each other. Of course they had known that their son was smart, but they didn't know just how far above his peers he truly was.

"He hasn't mentioned anything to us about being bored in class. He has mostly talked about the friends he has made. I want to talk to him to see if he would even want to move up. I don't want him to have to leave his friends if he doesn't want to," Cassie said. Sam nodded in agreement.

Ms. Brown smiled. She liked these two. "Absolutely. That was one of the reasons why I wanted to get this process started soon. If he DOES move up to first grade, the beginning of the school year is the best time to do it. It would be an easier transition for him."

Cassie and Sam spoke to the teacher for a little while longer and signed the paperwork agreeing to have their son tested. As they were leaving, Ms. Brown shook their hands. "Thank you for coming in today. We will have our School Psychologist test him this week, and we will call you with the results. Those results will determine if he should move up to first grade. In the meantime, why don't you go home and talk to him about it. See what he thinks, and we will chat later."

On the way to their cars, Sam stopped. Cassie glanced back at him with a questioning look. He bit his lip, and his forehead was creased, "If we do this, he'll go off to college a year earlier. He'll only be 17. We have to think about that." Cassie smiled and took his hand, squeezing it. For someone who was so concerned about being an older father, Sam had thrived since Will had been born.

"We'll talk about it, and we'll talk to him. Nothing's going to be resolved tonight, so don't worry about it right now."

When they got home, the sounds of high pitched and deep laughter met them. Will and George were sitting at the table playing a game. When Will saw his parents enter his eyes lit up. "Mama! Daddy! You're home! I just beat Grandpa at checkers!" He rushed up to them, hugging them both together. Sam and Cassie smiled at him and hugged him back.

"Did you both have fun?" Cassie asked him. Will nodded. "I finished my homework, too. It was really easy." Sam and Cassie glanced at each other.

"Will, go wash up for dinner, please," Cassie told him.

As he scampered off to the bathroom, Sam turned to Cassie. "If we don't do this, will we be holding him back?" She lifted a shoulder in a half shrug. George looked between them questioningly.

"How did the meeting go?" he asked.

Cassie sighed. "His teacher thinks he needs to be moved to first grade. We need to talk to him about what he wants to do."

George smiled. "I'm not surprised at all. He is an extremely bright boy. I didn't even let him beat me," he said sheepishly, nodding toward the checkerboard.

After dinner, Cassie and Sam sat Will down in the living room for a talk.

"Will, how do you like kindergarten so far?" Sam asked him. Will shrugged.

"It's okay."

Cassie frowned. "You told us last week that you like it. You said that you have friends in your class that you have fun with."

Will shrugged again, but this time he looked toward the floor and tears were welling up in his eyes. Cassie reached for him and pulled him toward her, hugging him to her side.

"What's going on?" she asked softly.

"I don't think my friends like me anymore." He sniffled.

Sam raised an eyebrow and placed his hand on Will's shoulder. "What do you mean? Why not?"

Will lifted his head. "One boy, Joey, started calling me 'smarty pants' and now all of them do. They keep following me around at recess calling me that. They never do it when the teacher is looking, and I don't want to be a tattle tale." He looked at Sam. "You told me that I need to do my best, but not make other people feel bad when they can't do something. I tried, but they don't like me anymore."

Cassie and Sam glanced at each other, as Cassie pulled Will closer and rubbed his back. Will buried his face in his mom's side and hugged her tightly. Sam raised his eyebrows at her and she nodded. He placed his hand on Will's shoulder and gently turned him to face him.

"Will...has kindergarten been too easy for you?"

He hesitated, then nodded.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Cassie asked.

"Well, because you told me I need to be…humble…" he said, searching for the word.

Cassie and Sam chuckled. "Oh, buddy," Sam said with a smile, "Being humble means that you don't brag about what you can do and talk about how much better you are than everyone else. You can always tell us how you're feeling."

Will searched his dad's face, took a deep breath, and nodded. "Okay. It's too easy. The rest of the class is learning about the sounds that letters make. I already know how to read chapter books. I'm so bored. Ms. Brown is really nice, though. She gives me harder things to work on and she has let me tell the class how I solve math problems."

"We had a meeting with Ms. Brown today," Sam said.

Will nodded. "I know. Mama told me before she left. I'm not in trouble am I?" he asked softly.

They smiled. "No, you're not in trouble," Cassie said as she poked him gently. "Why? Did you do something we don't know about?" she asked teasingly.

Will perked up and grinned. "Well…" he joked.

They all laughed, breaking the tension that filled the room up to that point.

"Will, what do you think about going to first grade? Ms. Brown said that kindergarten is not the right place for you, and I'm beginning to think she's right. If you do this, you would start first grade in the next couple of weeks," Sam said.

Will thought about it. "First grade? Really? That means that I would be in the same grade as Jenna!" Jenna was Will's best friend, the daughter of one of Cassie's friends.

"You would be," Cassie said with a smile, "It would be a little more of a challenge for you."

Will sat up straight and puffed out his chest. "I think I'll be okay. I might be smarter than some of the other kids in my new class, too," he said with a grin.

Sam and Cassie bit back smiles and Sam reached over and poked Will gently in the shoulder. "Now THIS is what I meant by being humble and not bragging," he said with a soft smile.

Will pursed his lips, holding back a smile. "Sorry," he said. The mischievous spark, however, remained in his eyes.

Cassie stood up and reached for Will's hand. "Well, your daddy and I need to talk about it, but let's get you to bed. We will talk more about it in the morning," she said. Sam stood up and joined them for Will's bedtime routine. When they were tucking him in, Will bit his lip and looked at his parents.

"Mama? Daddy? Do you think I'll make new friends in first grade?"

Cassie smiled and leaned down to kiss his cheek. "Oh, honey, of course."

Sam grinned and gently tickled Will's side. "Of course. You have a mix of the Radford and Nightingale charm. I think it'll be okay," he said with a chuckle as he bent down to kiss his son's forehead.

It was. The next week saw Will's testing come back and he started first grade the week after, ending up in the same class as his best friend. She introduced him to the rest of her friends in the class, and Will was happier than ever.

While Cassie and Sam were still concerned about their future 17 year old son going off to college, their little 5 year-old boy was happy, so they were too.


	13. Chapter 13

**Happy reading!**

The doorbell at Grey House rang out, and Will ran to the door before anyone could stop him. "I'll get it Mama!" he yelled. He opened the door to find an unknown man standing there.  
"Hi. Welcome to Grey House. Do you have a reservation?" Will asked, repeating what he had heard his mom say dozens of times.

The man shook his head and smiled down at him. "You must be William," he said. Will's eyes narrowed slightly, trying to figure out how this man knew his name. Just then, his mom came walking around the corner.

"Will, what have we told you about answering the door? That could be…"she stopped. "Ryan?!" Cassie exclaimed, shocked. "Wow. What are you doing here? How is London?" she asked, as she pulled him into a brief hug.

Ryan smiled. "I was in Chicago on business, and I thought I'd check in with some old friends," he said. "London has been great. The real estate market is booming there, and I've been making a lot of sales." His eyes drifted to Will, who was still standing by the open door. "So… is this your son? William?"

Cassie smiled. "Yes, Will. Will, this is my old friend Ryan. He used to live here in Middleton."

Will smiled, showing a single dimple in his cheek, and shook Ryan's hand. "Hi. Nice to meet you. I'm Will. William Alexander Radford," he said with confidence. "My initials spell WAR, but I'm really nice." He said with a grin.

Cassie and Ryan chuckled and Ryan bent down to examine Will more closely. "Wow. He's like a little Sam, isn't he?" he said, eyebrows raised.

Cassie nodded, smiling. "If you only knew," she said.

"You know my dad?" Will asked, looking at Ryan.

Ryan hesitated. "I know him a little. He had only lived here in Middleton for a year or so before I moved away," he said, glancing at Cassie.

Cassie gave him an awkward smile and shifted her eyes. Ryan caught her hand, squeezing it gently. "No, no. I don't want you to feel guilty about that. Things have worked out well…for both of us," he said, glancing at Will.

Just then, Sam walked into the entryway. "Cassie, have you seen…" he stopped suddenly, spotting Ryan and immediately eyeing Cassie's hand in his. Ryan dropped her hand and reached out to shake Sam's. Sam automatically shook it. "Ryan. I didn't know you were in town," he said, looking at Cassie questioningly. Cassie shrugged.

Ryan smiled, watching the nonverbal communication between the two. "I didn't tell anyone. It was kind of a last minute trip."

Sam nodded and glanced at Will, who was watching the interaction between his parents and this man with fascination.

"Daddy? What are you looking for?" Will asked.

Sam looked at his son, confused. "What do you mean?"

Will gave his dad a perplexed look. "When you came into the room you were asking Mama if she had seen something, and then you stopped. Why did you stop?"

Sam shut his eyes briefly, inwardly cursing his son's highly observant nature.

"Oh. It doesn't matter, buddy. I stopped because I hadn't seen Ryan in a while and I was surprised." Will was about to ask another question, but Cassie broke in.

"Ryan, we were about to have dinner. Would you like to join us?"

Ryan looked between Cassie, Sam, and Will, all with different expressions on their faces. Cassie looked friendly and hopeful, Sam was wary but not unkind, and Will was still trying to figure him out. He laughed.

"I'd love to. You don't mind?" he said.

"Of course not!" Cassie said. You're always welcome." She wrapped her arm around Sam's waist, and led them all into the dining room. "I hope you don't mind lasagna. It's Will's favorite," she said.

Ryan glanced at the boy, who was bouncing up and down, grinning. He couldn't help but be charmed by this kid, and he chuckled at his exuberance. Will bounced up to him. "This is my seat, this is Mama's and Daddy's. You can sit here," he said, pointing at the chair next to Sam's.

Meanwhile, Cassie and Sam had entered the kitchen to get the food and an extra place setting. Sam glanced back toward the dining room. "Did you know he was coming?" he whispered.

Cassie shook her head. "No. I haven't heard from him in a while. He's working in London now and he said he's been in Chicago on business," she said, as she handed Sam the lasagna and placed an extra place setting, along with garlic bread and salad on a tray to carry in to the dining room. "That was a little bit of a cold greeting you gave him out there," she said, eyeing him.

Sam looked at her incredulously. "How did you expect me to react? I hadn't seen the man in 9 or 10 years, and when I did, he was holding my wife's hand. It was like a weird time warp," Sam whispered.

Cassie sighed. "Sam, he grabbed my hand to tell me that he doesn't want me to feel guilty about what happened between the two of us. He said that things worked out well for everyone, which I believe as well."

Sam took a deep breath. "Sorry. Ryan brings up unpleasant memories for me…"

Cassie smiled and took the lasagna from his hands, setting it back on the counter. She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him tightly to her. "There's no need to feel like that. Ryan and I were good friends, but nothing more. You and I…are obviously something way more. Proof of that is currently sitting in the dining room, probably badgering Ryan with questions," she whispered. They both chuckled before coming together in a lingering kiss.

When they pulled apart, she lightly swatted his shoulder. "Now let's get back in there before our son gets Ryan's life story." Sam laughed and picked up the lasagna, following Cassie back into the dining room.

"So, you sell houses? What kind of houses do you sell? Are they expensive? Do you make a lot of money? Wait…sorry…Dad said I can't ask people that. Do you like it? What kind of people do you meet?" Cassie and Sam had walked into the Armageddon of questioning: Will was peppering Ryan with question after question, not waiting for a response.

"Will," Sam said, getting his attention. "Give Ryan a break. Let's eat." Ryan looked at him gratefully and he grinned.

"Will likes to know everything. Give him an evening of your time and he'll be an expert in real estate before it's over." Sam explained.

Ryan looked over at Will, who had quieted down now that dinner had arrived. He was staring at his plate that his dad was dishing up. "Do you want to sell houses when you grow up?" he asked Will.

Will looked surprised and shook his head. "No. I'm going to be a doctor like my daddy. I already have my own lab coat and stethoscope, and I'm asking for a microscope for Christmas," he told Ryan with a smile, getting his plate of food that his dad handed him.

Ryan nodded. "I'm not surprised," he said.

"Daddy even said that we could dissect a frog together when I get a little older," Will said as he was eating.

"Will, use your manners please. Don't talk with food in your mouth, and we don't talk about cutting apart dead animals during dinner," Cassie scolded, looking somewhere between amused and disgusted.

Sam hid his smirk behind his fork and decided to change the subject. "So, Ryan…what's new with you? I mean in the last 10 years or so," he asked.

Ryan swallowed his garlic bread before replying. "Oh, things are great. I am engaged to a wonderful woman. Her name is Anna. We met at work and just clicked."

Cassie and Sam both congratulated him. "I'm glad you found your right person," Cassie said with a smile. She glanced at Sam, who reached out his hand to squeeze hers.

Will looked up from his lasagna. "Mama…"

Cassie looked at her son expectantly.

"What do you mean by right person?" he asked, with a curious look.

Cassie thought for a second. "Right now, you just worry about having good friends who make you a better person. When you're older, you'll want to find that person who makes you feel like you always want to be around them."

"But I always want to be around you and Daddy," Will said, his eyebrows pushed together.

Cassie laughed and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "We want to be around you, too. Just trust me when I say that you'll find out when you're older." Will shrugged and continued eating his dinner.

Cassie looked back at Ryan. "Do you have a place to stay tonight?" He nodded.

"I do. Thanks for asking, though."

Will spoke up, "May I be excused? I'm almost done with my book, and I REALLY want to know what happens."

Cassie nodded. "Put your dishes in the sink first and come and say goodbye to Ryan before you go upstairs." He nodded and headed into the kitchen before returning a short time later. He walked up to Ryan.

"It was nice to meet you," he said.

Ryan gave him a smile and patted him on the shoulder.

"It was nice to meet you, too, Will. You seem like a pretty awesome kid."

Will smiled and half shrugged. "Thanks. Bye!" He looked at his parents and grinned before leaving the room.

Ryan turned back to Cassie and Sam. "He really is a great kid."

They both nodded. "Thanks. We think so," Sam said. He got up and began taking the dishes to the kitchen to get the dishwasher started. When Cassie started to get up, he held out a hand. "I'll take care of the dishes tonight and go get Will ready for bed. You go visit with Ryan for a bit," he said, leaning over and giving her a quick kiss. Straightening up, he walked over to Ryan and held out his hand. "It was good to see you, Ryan. Congratulations again on your engagement." They shook hands and Sam continued to clear the table while Cassie and Ryan went to the living room to chat.

A couple of hours later, Cassie had said goodnight to Ryan and went to check on Will, who was sleeping peacefully. Entering her room, she noticed that the bedside lamp was on, but there was no Sam.

"Sam? Are you in here?" she asked, as she entered the bathroom. He was standing at the sink, shirtless, brushing his teeth.

"Hey, how 'as or 'isit?" he asked, toothbrush in mouth.

Cassie wrapped her arms around him from behind, smiling when she felt his abdominal muscles contract. "It was good. It was fun to catch up. I told him all about what's going on here, and he kept saying how impressed he was by Will. He said he's getting married in a few months, and that he'd like to bring her to Middleton to visit in the next year or so."

Sam put his toothbrush back in the holder and turned in her arms, so he was facing her. "I'm glad he found someone. You know, in a way, we have Ryan to thank for us meeting and being together," Sam said.

Cassie looked confused. "Really? Why?"

Sam smiled. "Because he sold me the house next door," he whispered in her ear as he pulled her closer, "And, something WAS wrong with that combination lock."

She laughed and pulled his face down to hers in a kiss. "That number 13 ended up being lucky…for both of us," she said.

"My new favorite number," Sam said, drawing her in for another kiss.


	14. Chapter 14

**For Ana—thanks for the request. Hopefully this is similar to what you were looking for.**

 **Disclaimer—I don't presume to know how Cassie receives her "inspiration," but visions worked best for my story. I also realize that Will acts older than what I'm writing him as—that has to do with my belief that Cassie's and Sam's son would be brilliant and well-adjusted, as well as have an exceptional vocabulary and social skills.**

Cassie felt Will's presence right before he entered the kitchen of Grey House, and she could tell he wasn't happy. She looked up just in time to see him slam the door shut and run upstairs. She was dumbfounded. It was rare for her normally calm and stable son to react so emotionally. She stared up the stairs in the direction he had gone, wondering if she should go after him or if she should give him some space. She decided on the former. After making the short climb upstairs, she paused at his bedroom door and knocked softly. "Honey? What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" came the teary reply.

Cassie stood outside the door, torn between honoring his wishes and ripping the door open to comfort her baby. "Are you sure?" she called back. "I can make some hot chocolate, and we can talk."

"No thanks, Mom," he said brokenly, "I just want to be alone."

She turned away from the door, worry gnawing at her insides. What had happened at school that caused him to react in such a way?

George stepped out of his room. "What's going on with our boy?" he asked. "I head the door slam from up here and the sobbing as he came up the stairs.

Cassie shrugged, a concerned look crossing her face. "Did he tell you anything was happening at school today? We didn't miss anything did we? A field trip or something?" she asked.

George shook his head. "Not that I know of. He normally talks about that stuff for days or weeks before it actually happens."

Cassie shook her head. "He doesn't want to talk, but I'm going in there to try to pry something out of him. This is totally uncharacteristic of him, so it must be something big," she said.

She knocked on Will's door again, but opened the door before he could reply. "Will?" she said, stepping into the room.

"Mom…go away. Please."

She walked over and sat down on the edge of his bed, where he was lying face down, hands over his head.

"Not until you tell me what's wrong," she said, running her fingers through his short, dark hair. "It hurts me to see you like this."

He rolled over so he was staring up at the ceiling, but he still didn't look at her.

"What happened?" she asked simply.

He sighed, covering his face with his hands. "Some of the older boys at school were teasing Jenna at recess. I told them to knock it off, but that made them mad and they turned their attention to me. They told me that they heard I was an…accident. That you and Dad didn't want me, but you got stuck with me anyway. They said that you were both old and didn't want any more kids, but I came along and you couldn't get rid of me." He finished, finally looking her in the eye. "Is that true?"

Cassie was horrified. She reached for her son and dragged him to her. He was a little too big for her lap, but she did the best she could to hold him as tightly as possible.

"Oh, honey. Of course it's not true! Yes, you were a surprise addition to our family, but very welcome, and definitely not an accident. Just because we have surprises, it doesn't mean that they are bad. Those boys were being mean and vindictive, and they have no idea what they are talking about. Our family has been the source of gossip for this town for years, and it seems like it has now spread to the younger generation. I'm so sorry," she said, cradling him in her arms like he was a baby.

"Really?"

"Yes. Now do you want to hear the real story?" she asked.

He nodded. She placed her hand on his cheek and began. "Well, it all started 8 years ago. Your dad and I had been married for about a year, and we were both very happy. One day, though, I started to feel a little…different… "

FLASHBACK- 8 YEARS EARLIER

"Mom! Have you seen my permission slip? I need it signed and returned today!" Grace called into the kitchen. Cassie found the slip on the side counter and held it up for her daughter to grab. "Thanks!" she called as she rushed out of the house with Nick in tow.

Cassie chuckled. "Have a good day, you two!" she called after them.

As soon as the door closed, a powerful vision swept over her. She could see a little boy knocking at the door…the same door that Grace and Nick had just walked out of. She couldn't see his face well, but he was knocking frantically—she could tell he was sad and scared. It startled her so much that as soon as she came back to her senses, she checked the door. No boy. Confused, she went around to the front door, just to be sure. Still no boy. Just then, Sam came walking down the stairs, tying his tie.

"What's wrong?" he asked, noticing her expression.

She shook her head. "Nothing, everything is fine. You look handsome today. You know that's my favorite tie," she said softly, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He gave her a brilliant smile. "I know. That's why I'm wearing it." He gave her a quick kiss. He pulled back to look at her. "Are you sure you're okay. You look a little shaken."

She nodded and smiled. "I'm sure. Have a good day. I love you."

He kissed her again. "I love you, too. Have a good day at the shop."

After Sam left, Cassie couldn't stop thinking about the little boy at the door. He was young, maybe 6 or 7, and had dark brown hair. She hadn't seen his face clearly enough to determine eye color. Was there a new family in Middleton that she hadn't met yet? Was this boy going to be a guest? The questions continued to plague her throughout her work day at Bell, Book & Candle. She had had many feelings and visions over the years, but for some reason, this one hit her hard. She wanted to help the boy, but didn't know what to do. Who was he? She began to feel sick just thinking about this boy, all alone and possibly scared, knocking at her door. Where was his family? Was he lost?

All of these thoughts continued to race though her head as Martha stepped through the door. "Cassie? Cassie?"

She finally looked up.

"Cassie…I've been calling your name for a minute now. Are you okay? You don't look like you're feeling very well."

Suddenly, Cassie had an overwhelming urge to throw up. Clamping her hand over her mouth, she ran to the back restroom and emptied the contents of her stomach. Cleaning up at the sink, she looked into the mirror. What was going on with her? Was she so concerned about this vision that she made herself sick? How did that explain the tired eyes looking back at her in the mirror? _Come to think of it,_ she thought, _I have been pretty tired lately. Maybe I should bring that up at my wellness visit with Dr. Long tomorrow_.

The rest of the day at Bell, Book, & Candle passed by smoothly. When she got home, Grace was baking cookies in the kitchen. "Hey, honey," she said, kissing her daughter on the side of the head. "How was your day?"

As Grace told her about what she did at school that day, an unpleasant smell hit her. Nausea overwhelmed her once more, and she found herself running to the bathroom for the second time that day. When she returned to the kitchen, Grace looked worried. "Are you okay?" she asked, concerned.

Cassie nodded. "I think I picked up a stomach bug somewhere. It's not too bad, though."

There was a knock at the door and Cassie froze. In her mind she could see the little boy again, but this time she heard his voice. "Mom! Dad! Let me in! Please! I'm scared and all by myself." The vision faded in time for her to look up and see Brandon coming through the door.

"Hey, Grace, hey Cassie. I just…" he noticed Cassie's wide eyes staring back at him. "Is everything okay?" He walked up to her and placed his hand on her arm. "You're really pale, and you look like you've seen a ghost!"

Cassie nodded and gave him a weak smile. "I'm just not feeling too well. Did you need something?" she asked.

Brandon shook his head. "I'll talk to Grace about it. You should go lie down."

Cassie smiled at him gratefully and walked into the living room. She stretched out on the couch, pillow behind her head, and promptly fell fast asleep. She woke an hour later to Grace gently shaking her shoulder.

"Mom, Sam texted and said he would be about 15 minutes late. Are you feeling better?"

Cassie stretched and nodded. "I am. Honey…" Grace looked at her questioningly and she hesitated, "Can you not tell Sam about this? You know how he worries about things. I really am feeling better."

Grace was conflicted. On one hand, her mom did seem to be feeling better, but on the other hand, if she was still sick, Sam could help her. Reluctantly, Grace nodded. "Okay. I'm going to grab Nick and we'll get dinner ready tonight. You just rest, Mom."

Cassie gave her a grateful smile as Grace walked out of the room. One word struck her- "Mom…"The words of her last vision came back to her. A little boy was all alone and looking for his parents, and he was knocking on HER door. All of a sudden, reality washed over her as 4 little words wriggled their way into her brain. He… is… YOUR… son. Shocked, she sat back heavily against the couch cushions, mouth open. She was pregnant. It would explain everything—the visions, the nausea, the smell sensitivity, the tiredness. She had always wanted another child, but she was too old to have a baby—wasn't she?

Panic seized her. She was in her late forties with a daughter who was almost an adult. Could she really raise another child? Just then, the vision returned, but this time she could see the boy's face and she knew that this was her son. He was a beautiful combination of Sam and her. In her vision, the door that the boy had been knocking on opened and an arm…her arm… pulled him close. Peace enveloped her as the vision ended. She looked up just in time to see Sam walk through the door, loosening his tie. _Should I tell him?_ she thought. _No. I'd better get it confirmed at my doctor's appointment tomorrow. Then, if it's really true, I'll figure out how to tell Sam_.

When she had her pregnancy confirmed the next day, it became real for Cassie, and the shock returned. When she told Sam, her emotions got the best of her and she panicked. By the end of their conversation, however, peace settled in. Peace turned to excitement as she felt the baby grow inside of her. She never did tell Sam about the visions, nor was she surprised when she found out that she was having a boy. As Will grew, he looked more and more like the boy in her vision. She could never forget his face. Then, one day when Will was over at Jenna's house for too long, he accidentally got locked out of the house. Cassie heard the frantic knocking from upstairs. As she came closer to the kitchen, she heard familiar words that had been rolling around in her brain for 7 years, "Mom! Dad! Let me in! Please! I'm scared and all by myself!" She had flung the door open and drew her now familiar and wonderful son toward her.

"Don't worry, honey. I'm here. We're together," she said, holding him close.

 **END FLASHBACK**

Will looked up at her in amazement. "So…you saw me before I was born?"

Cassie nodded. "I did. I loved you from the moment I realized who you were. Now, that doesn't mean I wasn't scared, that's absolutely normal, but both your dad and I loved you and wanted you more than anything."

"Really?" he questioned.

"Really. In fact, we were so excited, that I had to hold your dad back from buying every baby product ever made," Cassie recalled, laughing.

Will gave her his crooked grin that she loved so much, and he reached up to hug her. "I love you, Mom. I couldn't imagine being in any other family."

Tears pricked in Cassie's eyes, "I love you, too, honey. I can't imagine life without you."

"It wouldn't be the same without you," they heard Sam say from the doorway. They both looked up at him. "You're a very important part of our family. Oh, and I didn't want to buy EVERY baby product. Just the really cool ones," Sam said with a smirk, as he walked over and sat next to his wife on the bed. Both Cassie and Will laughed.

"How long had you been standing there?" Cassie asked.

"Long enough. It's the first time I'd heard that story, so I was riveted, just like Will," he said. He rubbed his son's shoulder. "George told me that something happened at school. I want to hear about it later, but for now, you need to know that you are one of the most important people in our lives, and I wouldn't change that for a second," Sam said as he drew his son in for a hug and wiped a stray tear from his cheek. "Now," he said with a grin, "I do believe you challenged me to a game of one-on-one this morning. Are you up for it?" Will's eyes lit up and he nodded, jumping off his bed.

"I'll go get the ball!" he yelled behind him as he ran out of his room.

Cassie laughed and leaned her head against Sam's shoulder. "He was the best surprise I could ever imagine," she said softly.

Sam kissed the top of her head and drew her close. "Well, one of the best, at least," he said with a soft smile, looking straight into her eyes. She smiled and kissed him gently.

"DAD! Come on!" they heard from somewhere down the hall. They broke apart and grinned at each other before joining their son in front of the house for some basketball.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: Not mine, but I have fun playing with the characters. Be warned—this one gets a little "sickly sweet".** **Also, I can't wait until April 29** **th** **!**

"William Radford, what is going on?!" Cassie exclaimed as she walked into kitchen. She had come home from a long day of work to find her 8 year old son chasing frogs that were hopping around all over her kitchen. She stood there in shock for a second before turning to Will, who had the presence of mind to look ashamed. His mom didn't full-name him very often, so he knew she wasn't happy.

"Sorry, Mom," he said, "I was just trying to use them as test subjects for my new experiment, but they got out."

She helped Will capture the rest of the frogs and put them back into the box.

"Will, next time you want to use live creatures in one of your experiments, please do it in the garage," she pleaded. Will nodded his head and made his way to the garage to set up his "laboratory". Once he was gone, Cassie chuckled and shook her head. That boy was just like his father. He was always creating little experiments and helping his dad at the clinic. However, he also had the softest heart of anyone she had ever met. While he had not inherited the "Merriwick gift" (that was generally passed down from mother to daughter), he had an amazing ability to read the people around him. He was definitely a unique and special little boy.

The smile left her face when she looked around and realized that she would have to sanitize every inch of the kitchen. Sighing, she picked up her cleaning spray and rag and went to work. Will came back a few minutes later and helped for a little while, which gave her the opportunity to ask him about his new experiment.

His face lit up, "Well, I'm not going to dissect them this time like Dad and I did. I'm going to test their reflexes by…" he continued. Cassie's thoughts wandered as her son continued his detailed explanation about control groups and just how he was going to test the reflexes of the frogs. She thought about Sam. He had been gone for a while now, and she missed him like crazy. Everything she saw around her reminded her of him…the little dimple in Will's cheek when he smiled and his bright blue eyes that seemed to be able to see into her soul when he looked at her, Sam's toothpaste that still sat on their bathroom counter, his pillow that still smelled so much like him that she snuggled with it every night. Her thoughts were brought back to her son when she realized that he had stopped talking. He was watching her with a sad look on his face.

"You miss Dad, don't you?" he asked. She nodded. "I do, too," he frowned. Cassie gathered her son in her arms and gave him a squeeze.

"It's okay to miss him. It just means that we are lucky enough to love someone enough to miss them when they're gone," she told him. He nodded.

"Well, then we're really lucky, right?" he asked.

Cassie grinned and put her hand on his cheek. "That we are."

Cassie thought for a moment and then began to move around the kitchen with a purpose. Will watched her closely and perked up when he realized that she was getting baking ingredients out. "I think we need a distraction," she said.

"Are you making Christmas cookies?" he excitedly asked.

She grinned. "No, WE'RE making Christmas cookies! Go wash your hands really well. You've been touching frogs." As Will ran off to the bathroom she called, "WITH SOAP!"

"Okay!" he yelled back.

Cassie had just started measuring the flour when she heard the door open and felt the familiar presence behind her. She grinned as strong arms wrapped around her waist and hugged her from behind. "I'm home," a deep voice whispered in her ear. She grinned and turned around, flinging her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly to her.

"Sam! I thought you weren't going to be home until tomorrow!"

He chuckled. "The last day of the conference didn't pertain to me, so I decided to surprise you and come home early," he said before kissing her soundly.

"Well, you definitely surprised me. There's someone else who will be excited to see you too!" she said, pulling away just enough to look him in the eyes. Just then Will came into the room.

"Okay, Mom. I promise that I washed WITH soap…" Will trailed off as he noticed his dad in the room. "DAD! You're home!" he yelled as he ran up to him. Sam easily picked his son up and hugged him. "You've been gone for forever!" Will complained as Sam set him back down.

Sam chuckled, "Wow. I've only been gone 5 days and it's seemed like forever. I guess I am pretty popular around here," he joked. He looked down at his son, whose arms were wrapped around his middle, then glanced at Cassie whom he had put his arm around and hugged close.

Cassie smiled and kissed him softly. "Yes, you are."

Will broke the hug and grinned brightly. "Dad, you're just in time! Mom and I were about to make Christmas cookies!"

Sam smiled at his son's excitement. "Ooh, I LOVE Christmas cookies," he said with slight exaggeration, poking Will in the stomach. He hung up his coat on the rack and grabbed his luggage. "I'm going to take a quick shower and I'll be down to help decorate."

Will nodded and went to work helping his mom measure the ingredients for the cookies. When the first batch was in the oven and the timer set, Cassie charged her son with keeping an eye on the time. "I'm going to upstairs for a minute. If the timer goes off before I come back, come and find me," she said, heading upstairs.

When she walked into their bedroom, Sam was just coming out of the bathroom, fully clothed, toweling his hair dry.

"Hey. Are the cookies done already?" he asked, flipping the towel into the hamper.

She stepped closer and wrapped her arms around him, breathing in the scent of his soap and shampoo. "Not yet. I just wanted a minute alone with you. I missed you," she said with a smile.

He held her closer. "I missed you, too. Next time I go somewhere, I'm taking you with me!" he said with a laugh. Cassie grinned and pulled his head toward hers, kissing him.

"Ewww! I don't want to see that!"

They broke apart to see Will standing at the door with a scrunched up face and his hands covering his eyes.

They laughed and walked to him, pulling him into a group hug. Cassie treasured these moments. She knew that Will was growing up quickly and would soon no longer want hugs from his parents, but for now, she held both of them close to her like a lifeline, never willing to let go.

That is, until the smoke alarm went off.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Good Witch.**

 **Sorry for the delay. I am a teacher, and the last couple of months of school are…rough. I'm on summer break now, though! Yay!**

"Cassie, we're here!" Nick called out to his stepmother as he led his fiancée, Lauren, into Grey House. He and Lauren had been together for about a year and a half. They worked at the same advertising firm and hit it off, bonding over a shared history in the Midwest (she was from Milwaukee). He had proposed to her 6 months earlier, and their wedding day was rapidly approaching. Even though they lived and worked in Los Angeles, they both wanted to get married at Grey House.

Cassie stepped away from the stove and gave Nick and Lauren hugs. "Oh, welcome home! I'm so happy you were both able to come a couple of days early to spend some time with the family before the wedding. I've been looking forward to it, and I know at least a few other people who feel the same way," she said, glancing toward the door with a smile on her face, laughing when her 9 year old son burst through.

"Nick!" Will yelled out, as he ran toward his big brother. "You're finally here!" He wrapped his arms around Nick and squeezed, causing Nick to glance up at Cassie with a grin on his face and return his brother's embrace.

"Good to see you, too, little bro," Nick said, softly punching Will's shoulder. He raised his hand up toward the top of Will's head. "Holy cow, kid. You've grown even more since I saw you a couple of months ago at Christmas! You'll be taller than me soon," he said playfully, pushing down on the top of his little brother's head in an attempt to make him shorter. Will laughed and shook his head.

"Mom said I might even be as tall as or taller than dad when I grow up. Then I'll definitely beat him at basketball!" he said with a small smirk.

Just then, Sam entered the room. "Hey, watch out. I'm still bigger than you," he said laughing, pointing a finger at his younger son. He gave Nick a quick hug and kissed Lauren's cheek.

"Good to see you guys. I'm glad you were able to come a couple of days early to spend some time with the family before the wedding," Sam said. Nick and Lauren looked at each other and burst out laughing. Sam cocked his head toward Cassie, his face a mask of confusion. She just grinned at him.

Nick smirked at his dad. "You two are starting to think alike," he said, glancing between his dad and Cassie. "Those were the exact words that Cassie said when we first got here." Sam laughed and walked over to his wife, wrapping his arm around her.

"Boy, did you ever think that someone would say we thought alike? Especially when we first met…" he asked Cassie with a grin on his face before kissing her cheek. Cassie laughed and shook her head.

"Definitely not, but like all great things, practice… and a lot of patience helps," she said, holding back a smile. Sam gave narrowed his eyes playfully and opened his mouth to retort when Will cut in.

"Mom! You said that Grace and Luke were supposed to show up before Nick and Lauren. Where are they?" Will queried, referring to his sister and her husband of 2 years.

"Right here, baby brother."

Will whipped his head around toward the dining room. "Grace! I thought you'd never get here!" he yelled out, giving her a similar hug he had just given his brother a few minutes earlier. He released his sister only so she could give out hugs to the rest of the family.

Grace's husband Luke came in and set their suitcases down, greeting Cassie and Lauren with hugs, and Sam and Nick with handshakes. He then turned his attention back to Grace, wrapping his arm around her. "I brought a brand new baseball glove, but I think it might be a little too small for me. Do you know anyone who might enjoy it?" he said with a wink, before turning to Will. Will's eyes lit up. "Seriously? I just outgrew my old one!" he said before hugging him.

Grace and Luke had met at Northwestern. He had played college baseball as an undergrad before focusing his attention on his studies for his PhD in Pharmacy. They had both been done with school for a few years now and lived and worked in Chicago, calling a modest 1 bedroom apartment home. Being so close, they were able to come home to Middleton frequently to see her family. Luke and Will had bonded over their love for sports. While Will's number one sport was still basketball, he had grown to love baseball, especially with Luke coaching him on the finer points of the game.

Will pulled at Luke's arm in an attempt to nudge him outside where he had his baseball stuff ready.

"Hold on, Will. Before you steal my husband, we have an announcement…" Grace said with a smile.

Luke stepped up and wrapped his arm around her middle, a smile quickly growing on his face.

Cassie grinned and glanced at Sam, noting his understanding dawning. He whipped his head toward Cassie, eyebrows raised, before looking back at Grace.

"You mean…" he started.

Grace laughed. "Yes, we're going to have a baby."

A cheer went up throughout Grey House as the family whole heartedly welcomed the news. Grace held her hands up. "Wait…there's more," she said with a grin.

"You're not having twins are you?" Nick teased.

Grace laughed and shook her head. "Nope, just one." She cleared her throat and glanced at her husband. He gave her an encouraging smile. "We've known about this baby for a month or so now. We just wanted to wait to tell you until the family was all together." Everyone nodded. She continued, "Well, when we found out, we both realized that we didn't want to raise a child in Chicago. It's a great place, but Middleton is even better."

Gasps rose up from the other occupants in the room. Cassie put her hand over her mouth, tears starting to form in her eyes. "Does that mean what I think it means?" she asked Grace hopefully, squeezing Sam so tightly he winced.

Grace nodded and her mom rushed toward her, enveloping her in a hug. When they pulled back, Grace explained, "Luckily, there's a spot open in Blairsville for the same company I work for now. It's a relatively new branch, so I'll be helping to open it up for research. Luke found a new job at Hillcrest Hospital, thanks to someone we know…"

All eyes flew to Sam, who had a sheepish look on his face, as if he'd gotten caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Hey, I may not be Chief of Staff anymore, but I still have connections," he said. Noticing the slight glare he was receiving from his wife, he held up his hands in surrender. "Hey, it's not my fault! She told me not to tell!" He looked at Grace, eyebrows raised, silently begging her to rescue him.

Grace laughed and hugged her mom to her. "It's true. I wanted to surprise you, since it's so hard to do. I'm just surprised that you didn't figure it out. Sam's not exactly hard to read," she said with a chuckle.

The whole room laughed and Sam shrugged and reached over to give Grace a hug. "The baby's a surprise, though. Congratulations," he said with a big grin on his face.

Grace smiled. "Thanks, Sam." She looked between her mom and Sam. "You guys are going to have to decide...grandma and grandpa, nana and papa…there are a million different names."

Sam's eyebrows lifted and he looked at his wife in surprise before looking away, eyes beginning water. She smiled and put her hand on his arm and squeezed before looking back at Grace with a grin.

Will, who had been watching these interactions quietly, walked up to Grace and gave her a hug. "Congratulations," he said in a soft voice. "I'm going to go play some basketball. I'll see you later," he said, making a quick exit.

Sam and Cassie looked at each other, concerned. They both started to go after their son, but Grace put her hands up. "I'll go," she said. "I think I'm the one he needs to talk to right now."

They nodded and let her go. As she left in the direction Will had gone, Nick turned toward his parents. "Well, Pops, how does it feel to know that you're definitely old now?!" he said with a grin. "Or is it Grandpa?"

Sam laughed and poked his son in the side. "Watch it! Old or not, I can still beat you on the court!"

Laughing, Nick put his arm back around Lauren. "I think we should find our rooms and get settled in. I want to test this theory of Dad's that he can still beat me, even at his ancient age," he said with a wink to Lauren and a grin at his dad.

Luke nodded. "I think I'll do the same. Not beat Sam, but get our stuff put up," he said with a laugh.

The three of them left the kitchen, leaving Sam and Cassie behind. Cassie glanced toward the door where her son had gone. "I wonder how that's going?" she said. Sam shrugged.

"Grace always knows what to say to make things better. I wonder where she gets that from…" he said with an adoring look at his wife. Cassie smiled and gave him a long kiss.

"Hmm…I don't know…Grandpa," she said with a teasing look.

Sam grinned. "Well, GRANDMA, if you figure it out, you let me know," he said, kissing her again.

…

When Grace caught up to Will, he was pounding the basketball into the backboard, similar to what Nick had done all those years ago when he was upset with his Mom and Dad.

"What did that backboard ever do to you?" she asked in a light, teasing voice.

Will turned around and gave her a small smile. "What are you doing out here?"

Grace put her hand on his shoulder, stopping his next shot. "Will, what's going on? Are you upset about the baby?"

Will shrugged. "Not really. It seems like everyone is happy. I just…I don't know."

"What? You can tell me," she prodded, gently.

"Are you and Luke still going to want to hang out with me after the baby is born? Joe…in my class…his mom had a baby last year, and he said that she doesn't spend any time with him anymore. It's all about the baby now," he blurted out, embarrassed.

Grace hugged him to her. "Oh, Will. It's true that I'll be spending a lot of time with the baby. He or she will need a lot of attention. But that doesn't mean that I can't still spend time with you. You're my favorite little brother," she said with a grin.

Will looked up at her with his signature smirk. "I'm your only little brother."

She nudged him. "Plus, you're going to be an amazing uncle. Think of all the things you can teach this baby. I'm sure you'll have a miniature basketball in his or her hands before their first birthday. Unless Sam beats you to it…" she said with a laugh.

Will's smile grew. "You think I'll be a good uncle?"

Grace nodded. "Of course. This baby is going to love you. I know I do." She hugged him again. When they pulled back, Will was grinning.

"I love you, too. I'm going to be the best uncle in the whole world."

Grace smiled. "I don't doubt it."


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer—Still don't own Good Witch. If I did, we would have more than 10 episodes a year! :p**

 **I've been working on this chapter for a while. It's not the best, and there's not much plot, but it's more a "day in the life" kind of chapter. I didn't write Brandon, Tara, and Lori into this for a reason—I'm not so great at including a lot of characters. You can pretend that they're there if you want :). Anyway, hope you enjoy.**

The 4th of July had always been Will's favorite holiday. His family celebrated it at their lake house playing on the water, having a barbecue, and watching the fireworks go off over the lake. This year they would be adding one more person to the celebrations—Grace and Luke's 9-month old daughter Kinley. He just couldn't wait.

"Dad, when are we leaving for the lake house?" Will asked for the 10th time that hour.

Sam huffed in frustration. "I'm pretty busy trying to get all of this stuff packed in the car, Will. Why don't you go help your mom pack up the coolers? We might get out of here sooner if you do."

As he walked into the kitchen, he saw his sister helping their mom while trying to calm a crying Kinley. The baby was in her high chair reaching for her mom and wailing. When Grace saw Will, she smiled and looked at her daughter with big eyes. In an exaggerated voice she said, "Kin, look who it is! It's Uncle Will!" Kinley stopped crying and looked in the direction her mom had pointed and gave him a watery smile.

Will walked up to his niece with a big grin on his face and tickled her. "Hey, Kinny! What's the problem, huh? You want your Uncle Will?" he cooed. When she reached for him, he picked her up out of the high chair and started dancing around the kitchen.

Grace sighed with relief and went back to helping with the coolers. "Thanks, Will. She's feeling kind of cooped up right now as we're trying to get ready to go."

Will smiled at her and walked over to his mom, bouncing Kinley as he went. "Mom, Dad said that I should help you with the coolers. Did you get the hot dogs put in there? What about the chocolate for s'mores? Are you almost done? How much longer will it be? Dad seems like he's in a bad mood, so I hope not too long."

Cassie glanced at Grace with a small smile on her face before turning to face her son. "Will, why don't you take Kinley into the living room and play for a little while? You can help her play with that toy basketball hoop that your dad got for her. We won't be too much longer."

Will nodded and left, leaving Cassie and Grace laughing. "Hmm, I wonder why Sam is in a bad mood," Grace said with a grin. She glanced in the direction her little brother had gone. "He's such a good kid, but boy, when he gets something in his head…" she continued. Cassie nodded and finished getting everything in the cooler, just in time for Sam to come through the door. She walked up to him and wrapped her arm around his waist.

"Someone told me you're in a bad mood," looking into his face with a smirk.

Sam sighed. "Trying to get everything in the car was like losing a giant game of Tetris, and he wouldn't stop asking me when we were leaving. Ten times, seriously. I counted." He looked at Cassie and the smirk on her face grew larger until finally he broke out into a chuckle. "Well, he'll be happy to know that once we HOPEFULLY get these coolers in the back seat, we'll be ready to leave." He turned to Grace. "Are you and Luke all packed up?"

Grace nodded. "Luke just went to fill up the car before we left. Once he gets back, we're all set. Have you heard from Nick and Lauren? I texted him a little while ago, but he hasn't answered yet," she asked Sam as he was reaching down to pick up a cooler.

"Oh, Nick called this morning and said that their flight was delayed, so they are just going to meet us there," he said as he headed toward the door. "They should be there sometime tonight."

Grace nodded again. "I'm going to go get Kinley changed and tell Mr. Impatient that we're almost ready," she said with a wink at her parents. They all laughed as Sam and Cassie headed outside with the cooler and Grace retrieved her daughter from Will's basketball tutelage.

A couple of hours later, they had settled into the lake house, and, much to his son's delight, Sam had gotten the boat ready to go shortly after arriving. Will was the first one to join his dad, life jacket strapped around him tightly, clutching the tube that would pull him around the lake. The look of pure excitement on his face made Sam smile, and he patted his son on the shoulder. "You're going to have to hold on tight. I'm going to be kicking up some waves for you back there."

Will looked up at his dad with a grin. "I can't wait!"

Sam threw his head back and laughed, before looking up at the sky with a frown. Turning to his son, he broke the bad news. "Will, I know you don't want to hear this, but I don't think we'll be out there for too long. Those clouds look awfully menacing," he said. Will looked up and frowned, disappointed. Before the rest of the family could join them, the skies opened up into a torrential downpour, soaking both of them to the skin. After tying the boat to the dock, Sam and Will ran into the house and were met by Cassie at the door, who handed them both towels.

"Yikes! That rain is cold!" Sam exclaimed, toweling his hair dry before wrapping it around his body. His hair stuck up in every direction and Cassie grinned before turning to her son.

"Will, go take a nice warm shower and change. I'll start a fire in the fireplace, and we can make S'mores." Will nodded and gave her a half smile before walking off down the hall.

Cassie turned to Sam, who was watching the sadness in Will's face as he walked away. "Hopefully the storm will pass soon. At the very least, I hope we have good weather for the 4th tomorrow. He looks forward to this every year," she said with a frown.

Sam nodded, slinging the towel around his shoulders. "I hope so. He was so excited about going out on the boat."

Cassie looked him up and down, smiling softly. "Not that I'm not enjoying the view, but you'd better go shower, too, before you get too chilled," she said with a glint in her eye. Sam lifted an eyebrow and glanced around. Noting that they were alone, he suddenly scooted a little closer to Cassie.

"Well, I know of some other ways to warm up," Sam whispered in her ear.

Cassie laughed. "Alas, that will have to wait," she whispered back, winking at him before glancing across the room. Just then, Grace came strolling in, carrying Kinley.

Noticing how closely her mom and Sam were standing, she shook her head. "You guys…there are children present," Grace said in a teasing voice, playfully covering Kinley's eyes. When she noticed that Sam was soaking wet, she glanced outside where the rain was still coming down. "Oh, no. Poor Will."

Cassie nodded. "We'll just have to come up with some fun things to do here in the house for the time being." Turning to Sam she said, "You go, and I'll start the fire. By the time you and Will are back, it should be nice and warm and ready for s'mores." Sam nodded and began walking toward the master bedroom before turning around briefly to give her a small smirk. She tilted her head and gave him a smile before softly chuckling and shaking her head. He grinned and went to do what his wife requested.

Grace had taken Kinley over to the window to watch the rain, so as Sam left the room, Cassie joined her daughter. "Do you think the rain will stop by tomorrow?" Grace asked. "We haven't been up to the lake house yet this year, and I was hoping Kinley could go on her first boat ride."

Cassie gave her daughter a mysterious smile. "Oh, I'm sure these clouds will clear out soon enough, and Miss. Kinley," she said, tickling her granddaughter's feet, "will get to do all sorts of new things." Cassie grinned as Kinley began giggling.

True to her word, when Sam and Will returned, Cassie had a good -sized fire blazing in the fireplace and s'mores ingredients ready to go. Will's eyes lit up as he looked around, momentarily forgetting his bad luck with the rain. Nick and Lauren had shown up just in time, and the family enjoyed their night together playing games. When everyone was heading to bed, Will stood at the window, watching as the rain continued to pour down. Cassie walked up to him and hugged him to her side.

"We'll have good weather tomorrow, you'll see," she said, squeezing him a little.

"Do you think so?" he asked hopefully, turning toward his mom.

She smiled. "Absolutely. Now go get some sleep. You're going to have a big day on the lake tomorrow," she said with a wink.

Will grinned and hugged her. "Thanks, Mom! Oh, and Dad…I want to be on the lake by 8 tomorrow morning!" he yelled as he ran to his room. Sam's mouth dropped open as he watched his son run out of the room. "8?" he questioned, before shaking his head and laughing. He looked around the room and once again noticed he and Cassie were alone. Sidling up to his wife, he wrapped an arm around her. Cassie grinned and held him close.

"I'm feeling a little chilled," she said with a glint in her eye. "Any ideas of how I can warm up?" Sam laughed and kissed her. "I have a few," he said mischievously.

The next morning, Will looked outside to find clear, blue skies, just like his mom had said. Throwing on his swimming suit, he ran downstairs to find that his parents were already up making breakfast. "You were right, Mom! It's gorgeous outside today!" he said excitedly, hugging his mom. Cassie just nodded, smiling.

Will turned to Sam. "Dad! Are you ready? I'm already dressed and ready to go!"

Sam, who had just taken a bite of a breakfast burrito, lifted an eyebrow. "I thought you were joking last night, Will. It's still a bit chilly out there," he said, chewing his food and nodding his head toward the lake. Will's face dropped, and Sam glanced at Cassie before sighing. "But, it should warm up soon. Grab something to eat, and let's get the boat ready to go.

Will grinned and jumped on his dad, squeezing him. "Thanks, Dad! I promise I won't complain about the cold!" Sam laughed and wrapped his arm around Cassie while Will shoved a burrito down his throat.

"Done! Let's go!" Will practically jogged out of the house toward the boat.

Cassie reached up and gave Sam a kiss. "You're a really good dad," she said with a soft smile. "Have fun out there. The rest of us will be ready in a couple of hours," she said with a laugh. Sam threw his head back and laughed, giving her a quick peck on the cheek before running to catch up with his son.

By the time the rest of the family joined them later, Sam and Will had already been around the lake a couple of times. Stopping by the dock to let everyone else on, Sam helped them onto the boat one at a time. Grace handed Kinley to him before grabbing the railing and pulling herself on. When she went to take Kinley back, Sam had taken her to the front of the boat to show her the wheel.

"Look, Kinny! That's how we're going to steer the boat. Do you want to drive the boat with Paw-Paw?" he asked, tickling her neck under her life jacket. Kinley giggled, eyes shining at Sam. He grinned and kissed her cheek before turning and seeing Grace standing there smiling at them.

"Come here, Kinley," she said, reaching for her daughter. "We'll let you drive the boat with Paw-Paw when we're away from the dock. Everyone's on now, Sam."

They all had a great time on the lake, with Kinley "helping" Sam steer the boat when the water was particularly calm. Will and Nick had a competition to see who could stay on the tube the longest. Due to some particularly choppy waves that Sam created for Nick, Will won. He enjoyed teasing his brother about it for the rest of the day.

Once they had had their fill of the boat, they headed back to the house for a barbecue and to wait for the fireworks over the lake. As the sun set, they got their chairs and blankets, and headed out in front of the house to watch the fireworks. Will, pulling his chair up next to his mom's, leaned over and hugged her arm.

"This was the best day ever, Mom! Thank you."

"You're welcome, but thank you for what, honey?" she asked with a smile.

Will smiled and narrowed his eyes slightly and tilted his head, giving her a questioning look. "I'm not sure, really. All I know is that it was supposed to be stormy today, but you told me it was going to be nice and it was. So… thanks, I guess."

The rest of the family laughed softly, with Sam and Grace exchanging knowing grins. Cassie smiled and placed her hand on her son's cheek before pulling him to her side in a hug. Just then, the fireworks started over the lake. Looking around, Cassie saw Grace holding a fascinated Kinley while Luke and Nick had their arms around their respective wives. Cassie, still holding her son to her, reached to her other side to grab Sam's hand, smiling softly at him. He looked over and smiled back before they both returned their attention to the fireworks. She sighed softly. Family.


	18. Chapter 18

**Sorry for the massive delay. Again, I write fluff. There's too much angst and drama in the world; it's time for fluff to prevail…in the fictional world, at least. If you don't like it, don't read it. It sounds like common sense, but you'd be surprised. I still don't own Good Witch.**

Cassie was just finishing up with a customer when she heard the bell ding over the door. She turned and saw her 11-year old son rush in.

"Mom! Guess what?" he asked excitedly, rushing up to her.

Cassie smiled and nodded goodbye at her customer, who gave her a smile in return. Turning back to Will, she came around the counter and gave her preteen a hug. He was getting so tall she didn't have to reach down much. "Hello to you too, honey," she said with a grin, brushing his hair back a little.

Will jerked his head back. "Mooommmm…" he complained, looking around.

Cassie smiled and half shrugged before placing a hand on his shoulder. "Okay, sorry. What is it that has you so excited?"

"Matt asked if I wanted to go camping with him and his family this weekend. Can I go? Please?" he asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Camping, huh?" she replied. "Well, I don't see why not, but let's talk to your dad about it at dinner. For now, though, I just got my supply of spices in. Will you go grab the box from the back?"

Will nodded, shrugging his backpack off and hoisting it onto the counter before going to do what his mom asked. Just then Sam walked in, holding nearly 2 year old Kinley in his arms. Kinley squealed when she saw her "Gamma." Surprised to see them, Cassie walked up to them and gave them both a kiss on the cheek.

"What are you doing with Miss Kinny?" she asked her husband as she tickled her granddaughter's belly.

Kinley giggled and jerked away. "Gamma! Stop!" she said through a laugh. Sam, still holding on to the squirming toddler in his arms, laughed as she clung to him to avoid being tickled.

"Grace came by for some work stuff, and told me she had to have Kinley with her all day today, so I offered to take her. I was done with patients for the day, anyway," he said, beaming at his granddaughter. Kinley smiled right back at him, her big brown eyes sparkling, and laid her head on his shoulder.

Cassie smiled and rubbed her back before placing her hand on top of Sam's, which was holding Kinley to him. Kinley had a special relationship with her "Paw-Paw," and unsurprisingly, she had him wrapped around her little finger.

Will came in from the back room, carrying the box of spices for his mom. "Okay, Mom. I got the box. What do you want me to do with it?" he asked before scanning the room.

"Unca Wiw!" Kinley screamed, practically jumping out of Sam's arms.

Will grinned and placed the box on the counter before opening his arms to his running niece. "Kinny!" he said, hoisting her up on his hip. "When did you get here?" Kinley just smiled at him, giving him a hug.

Sam wrapped his arm around his wife. "I see how it is. Paw-Paw is cool until this guy shows up," he joked, jerking a thumb toward his son. Cassie just laughed and watched her son and granddaughter interact. Soon, Will walked toward them, still carrying Kinley on his hip.

"Oh, hey, Dad. Matt and his family are going camping this weekend and he asked if I could go with them. Mom said we would talk about it. He said he already talked to his parents, and they're totally cool with it. Can I go? Please?" Will asked, doing his best puppy dog look.

Sam laughed and looked at Cassie questioningly. "What do you think?" he asked her. She shrugged in response.

"I don't see why not. We don't have any plans this weekend, and it's supposed to be beautiful out."

Will broke out in a grin, his dimple popping, before handing Kinley to his mom. "Thanks, Mom! I'll call him right now!" he said, running to grab his cell phone to call his friend.

Sam turned toward his wife. "Does that mean we'll be empty-nesters for a night or two?" he asked with a sly grin.

Cassie's eyebrows lifted and she smiled, nodding slowly. "I guess it does." She got a little closer, Kinley somewhat squished (and forgotten) between them. "What do you think about a trip up to the lake house, just the two of us?" she proposed. Sam leaned in to kiss her, but Kinley stuck her hand over his mouth before it could reach its target.

"No. My Paw-Paw. My Gamma," she said seriously, looking back and forth between the two of them.

Shocked for a second, Sam leaned back before breaking out into laughter. Cassie, too, began laughing so hard that tears formed in her eyes.

Sam leaned down and began peppering Kinley's cheek with kisses, with Cassie doing the same to the other. Kinley was giggling so hard, she didn't notice when her Gamma and Paw-Paw quickly kissed above her head before going back to attacking their granddaughter with kisses.

Sam took his granddaughter in his arms. "Come on, Kinny. Let's go back to Grey House and shoot some hoops!" he said, lifting her in the air and spinning her around. Kinley squealed and giggled. "Basket-baw," she said with a grin. Sam gave Cassie a quick kiss before raising his voice to be heard across the room, where Will had just gotten off the phone with his friend. "Will! We're going home. Do you want to come with Kinny and me or stay here with your mom?"

Will grabbed his backpack from the counter. "I want to come. I need to find all of my camping gear before this weekend. See ya, Mom," he said with a quick grin, before following his dad and niece.

Cassie smiled back, watching her family walk out the door. She knew Matt's family pretty well, and Will would be in good hands. As much as she adored her son, it would be nice to have a couple of days alone with her husband. She had a peculiar feeling about that weekend. She couldn't tell whether it was good or bad, but she knew it would be interesting. Only time would tell.

(to be continued)


End file.
